Thanks to the cooperation of Viktor Orban and Vladimir Putin, Hungary is called the "Trojan horse" of Russia in the European Union. On public television, Budapest mainly reports on humanitarian aid from Hungarians. It avoids showing the dramas of the war and the Russian president, Wirtualnemedia.pl writes in an extensive review of how Hungarian TV covers the war in Ukraine.

Just a month ago, on the eve of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Moscow. Before the pandemic, he met with Vladimir Putin at least once a year. 95% of gas supplies to Hungary come from Russia. During Orban's last visit, Putin emphasized several times that Russia would supply Hungary with gas five times cheaper than other European countries until 2036 while on April 3 this year parliamentary elections will be held in Hungary. In the context of the war on Ukraine, bringing up archival photos from Putin and Orban's meetings would not help the latter in his re-election.

Russian channels are disappearing from all over the world. What do Hungarians show? Humanitarian aid instead of atrocities and Putin's face. The public broadcaster MTVA is doing its best to ensure that Putin's barbaric policy does not weaken Fidesz's chances of winning. In the main issue of Híradó (News) on Wednesday, M1 did not show the face of the Russian president once. There was no information about a dozen or so Ukrainian children who lost their lives. The program shows only a few shots of the war damage done by the Russian army. The Hungarian broadcaster did not inform about the revolt that broke out in its ranks. Problems with the supply of fuel, food. Contrary to the Polish media, there were no reports from the shelters located in the Kyiv metro stations, provocateurs operating there and the heroic defense of Ukraine. It was limited to short messages about the situation at the front. For example, that the Russians boast of controlling the city of Kherson, which the Ukrainians denied until it was taken over yesterday. Three-quarters of the program was devoted to Hungarian humanitarian aid for refugees from Ukraine. Its various aspects were devoted to 5 materials and two live reports. The M1 station emphasized that it was the largest operation of this type in the history of Hungary. Temporary shelters for refugees are shown.

However, only a few people were visible in the background of the journalist. The reporter explained that many of the people fleeing the war quickly made it to Budapest or Western Europe. Hungarian television pointed out that state-owned companies are also participating in the action. In Hungary, those fleeing the conflict can count on free transport to Budapest. It did not take materials from several stations in the Hungarian capital. Hungarians also support Ukrainians in their country. The authorities of Transcarpathia provided 100.000 liters of fuel, 300 tons of food and 10.000 liters of bottled water. M1 mentioned help coming from charities in various churches. There were also calls for further volunteers to apply. “The nation united in the humanitarian crisis caused by the war” - reported Hungarian television. The statements of the Ukrainians themselves were also broadcast. “I was traveling by train with my young children. I don't know what is happening with my wife. Here in Hungary people are good, nice and help with everything,” said one of the men. At the end of the program, material on how MTVA helps refugees was broadcast. Mention was made of an action that encourages Hungarians to inform if they can take someone home.The material featured, inter alia, Daniel Papp, general manager of the public broadcaster. The pubcaster quoted Prime Minister Orban who said after the government meeting that his country would not send troops or weapons to Ukraine and that no weapons would pass through Hungary. “Weapons cannot pass. The most important thing is the life and safety of Hungarians, including Hungarians living in Transcarpathia. We cannot make such a decision and we will not make it,” said Orban. According to the head of the Hungarian government, his country must stay away from this war. At the same time, Ukraine is a friend of Hungary and Budapest fully supports its territorial integrity.

Polish media avoid quoting Russian military statements in order not to convey Kremlin propaganda. The statement by Igor Konashenkov, the chief spokesman of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, appeared in the main M1 newscast . “We have taken control of the city's media and public transport works normally in the city. There is enough food” - this is how the Russian commented on the situation in one of the cities in Ukraine. In "Híradó" you could also see the troubles of Sberbank. The National Bank of Hungary withdrew the loan license for the Hungarian branch of this company. This happened after the European funded regulator started the liquidation of the Austrian controlling company Sberbank Hungary. This is the result of the sanctions imposed on Russia. The bank's branches on the Danube have been closed. The Hungarian National Deposit Guarantee Fund (OBA) will pay clients compensation up to the threshold of PLN 100.000 euros within 10 days.

Although in many countries local political disputes have receded into the background, in Hungary, in the face of the ongoing election campaign, they occupy an important place in the leading information program. On M1, the leftist politician Kocsis-Olivio Cake was quoted. A member of the Hungarian parliament of Guinean origin did not rule out the necessity to impose sanctions on the energy sector. The Hungarian minister of foreign affairs threatened citizens that natural gas might not reach Hungary as a result of such actions by the opposition, which would negatively affect industry and drastically increase unemployment. Before the main release of "Híradó", an expert appeared in M1 studio, alerting that the European Union and Hungary would run out of gas by the fall, and the economy would suffer. He argued that there is no alternative to Russian supplies. When describing the opposition campaign, Hungarian television uses the term "candidate from Gyurcsány's list". Ferenc Gyurcsány is the former prime minister and chairman of the Socialist Party, who lost power after the disclosure of the famous recording "we lied in the morning, night, evening". The Hungarian government has warned that the opposition's return to power may be associated with cold days and nights. “If natural gas does not reach Hungary, there will be no heating. We cannot afford the Hungarian people to pay the price of the war in our neighborhood”, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó. According to representatives of the ruling Fidesz, the opposition may lead Hungary to plunge into a war with Russia. Orban's party is to prevent this from happening. "Russia wants neutral leadership".

M1 also criticized the opposition's candidate for Prime Minister Péter Márka-Zay, who is in favor of handing over arms to Ukraine. Later, an election spot with Orban's participation was broadcast. “Peace and security must be preserved in Hungary” - assured the prime minister of that country. Later, security experts were quoted as arguing that if weapons were delivered to the defending Ukrainians, "Russia would not stand by." A poll favorable for Fidesz was broadcast and material on cooperation with Serbia, a country openly opposing sanctions against Russia, whose president invited the Russian national football team and Russian teams to play matches on its territory. “Serbia's cooperation provides Hungary with serious security. Both in terms of economy and energy supply”, argued the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Hungarian television has changed its rhetoric in recent days anyway. On February 25 Weronika Jóźwiak, PISM analyst, informed on Twitter about one of the programs broadcast on M1. “Meanwhile, on the Hungarian public television, an alternative reality: Russia's goal is to establish a neutral government in Kyiv, Zelensky is irresponsible that he is distributing weapons to the people, the AU almost triggered a world war” - she wrote, quoting experts invited by M1 in the first days of the conflict. - Russia entered Kyiv because it wants neutral leadership. Putin is tired of the fact that Ukraine always has a pro-Russian or pro-Western government: now it should be pro -Ukrainian, said Prof. Nógrádi György, an economist, quoted by the opposition website 444. Nógrádi noted that 100,000 Ukrainians had left the country in one day and that the entire continent could be set on fire because of President Zelensky.