War in Ukraine is center stage at Hungary’s election rallies

By JUSTIN SPIKE
Associated Press

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Two mass rallies in Hungary’s capital were dominated by anxiety over Russia’s ongoing war in neighboring Ukraine and the future of Hungary’s position in a changing geopolitical landscape. The campaign rallies were being held Tuesday, less than three weeks before Hungarians head to the polls on April 3 to decide whether populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban wins a fourth consecutive term. Speaking to a crowd of hundreds of thousands, Orban, widely considered Moscow’s closest European ally, insisted that Hungary must stay out of the war in Ukraine. But in a separate rally, six opposition parties aiming to unseat Orban slammed his government for its close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.