Ukrainian intellectuals wrote a public response to a similar letter to Ukrainians and Ukraine, initiated and published under the signatures of Hungarian intellectuals and public figures on 21 June this year. Currently, more than 30,000 Hungarians have signed the Hungarian letter in support of Ukraine. This was reported on the Facebook page of the Institute for Central European Strategy.
It expresses disagreement with the anti-Ukrainian rhetoric of Viktor Orbán's government, condemns the Russian aggression that has been ongoing since 2014, calls for immediate, just and lasting peace, security guarantees for Ukraine, compensation for damages and the prosecution of those guilty of war crimes. The letter also expresses the hope that the Hungarian national minority in Ukraine will not fall victim to the shameful and politically motivated rhetoric of the Hungarian government.
The Institute for Central European Strategy (ICES) initiated a response letter to the Hungarian people, especially given the importance of the current moment. At the same time, ICES emphasises that its actions and this letter are not intended to interfere in the internal affairs of a sovereign state, but rather are an expression of the desire for a sincere public dialogue between peoples and nations based on mutual respect and solidarity.
Viktor Orbán responded to the open letter from the Hungarian public: the Hungarian prime minister criticised the content of the letter, using typical narratives that contradict not only objective data but also, for example, the provisions of Hungary's current National Security Strategy signed by Viktor Orbán.
Among the signatories of the Ukrainian response letter are writer Oksana Zabuzhko, Deputy Director General of the Ukrainian Institute Alim Aliyev, dissident and publicist Myroslav Marynovych, and many others.