FM Kuleba hopes Orbán 'washed and disinfected his hands' after meeting with Putin in China
Dmytro Kuleba (Photo: EPA/THOMAS PETER)

In an interview with the France 24 channel, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba expressed hope that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán "washed and disinfected his hands" after meeting with dictator Vladimir Putin in China.

He said the least Orbán could do was "wash and disinfect his hands after a handshake with Putin."

Orbán and Putin met in the government guest house where the Russian dictator stayed in China during the Belt and Road international forum.

Earlier, the Hungarian prime minister said that his country "never wanted to oppose Russia and is trying to salvage bilateral contacts."

In response, Putin expressed his satisfaction with the fact that "relations with many European countries are maintained and developed" and that "Hungary is one of these countries."

At the meeting with Putin, Orbán called the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine a "military operation".

On June 7, 2023, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that "Ukraine has ceased to be a sovereign country" and that he does not consider Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal.

On September 29, Orban said that before negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union, one should first understand its borders and population.