Thread by @KoskovicsZ

Many of you asked me to explain why #Hungary doesn't buy into the #Ukrainian "hero epic". I'll try to explain in this thread.
The issue is multifaceted, it'll take several posts. I'll be describing the general mood, individuals can and will have different views. Let's go.

Two elements stand out, in no particular order. We have a more complex picture of the issue. The closer you are to a problem, the less "black and white" it looks. If you object to this, stop reading now.
Hungarians do not hate the Russians more than Ukrainians.

A person in Portugal will (justifiably) just think that Russia attacked the Ukraine, therefore they are the bad guys, and Ukrainians deserve our help. Living here, right next to the biggest war in Europe since WW2, this is more complicated.

Yes, Russia attacked the Ukraine, and Hungarians are angry at Russia for doing that. We didn't need this bloody war at all.
But the #Ukraine that has existed since 2014 is an annoying version of the Ukraine.

They are arrogant, aggressive, impertinent, impudent and uppity. They also treat all their minorities worse than was the case pre-2014. All their neighbours know this, this is not in dispute.
But Poland, e.g., supports them anyway, while Hungarians don't. Why?

Because they hate them Russkies way more than they are annoyed by the Ukrainians. That is not true for Hungarians.
First of all, for most of us: they are just Russians with an accent. You can be outraged, but that's the reality.

In all our history, the Ukraine was just Russia. In '56, the Soviet invasion army was commanded by a Ukrainian. In 1849, the Russian invasion army was made up of cossacks.

So until 2014 (and a little after that) Ukrainians were just Russians in our eyes. But post 2014, the new government in #Kiev turned against minorities, including the sizeable Hungarian minority. They had their reasons, but no Hungarian taxi driver or hairdresser has to care.

Now, more on '56. You really do not get this. Reeeally.
We fought against Communists, OK? The Hungarian communists are most hated, the soviet ones (including Ukrainians) come after that.
This Russia is anything BUT communist.

This Russia is in fact Orthodox nationalist. It was always there. In '56, it was an oppressed minority, but it was there. Any voices that called out against the invasion of Hungary in '56 were from this, Orthodox, nationalist Russia. Hungarians know this.

So, on a scale of zero to Romania, we right now hate Russians somewhere near 0.2. That hasn't changed since 2014. Those who hate them more intensely since the war are balanced by those who like them more since it.
The Ukraine we hate at about 1.2 Romanias.

Because they have become only more demanding, arrogant, and uppity since the war. They are extremely annoying.
These are the most important aspects of why we do not buy into the Ukrainian "hero epic". But there are more, pragmatic reasons.

Most importantly: the sanctions adopted in support of Kiev are stupid.
We, in Europe, are effectively hurting ourselves. Our sanctions are ON US!

The Western woke press is annoying as fuck. The faux intensity with which they demand loyalty to this Ukraine is driving people away from supporting Kiev. I know several people, who started out in favour of more help for the Ukraine, who said two month into this: "ENOUGH!"

With all that, our people did a lot, well beyond the call of duty, to help the Ukrainian women and children running away from this ugly war. Because we do not associate them with the regime. They are just young girls with babies who need help, and we are the first ones who can.

And finally, Hungarians know that this is a proxy war between Washington and the Kremlin. We see how Europe is being used. We do not like it.
That's the end. Please consider getting this tweet to as many of your followers as you can. I was told (by you) that this was important.

@UnrollHelper do your thing, pls.