In Hungary, mayors of municipalities have called for aid for Ukraine ahead of a harsh winter
The mayors of seven Hungarian cities and four districts of Budapest that have sister-city relationships with Ukrainian communities have published an open letter calling for help to prepare Ukraine for a difficult winter. They pledged to make every effort to support Ukrainian communities and called on other Hungarian municipalities to join the initiative.
The appeal was signed by the mayors of Szeged, Székesfehérvár, Erdő, Gödöllő, Godmezevásárhely, Szombathely, and Budaörs, as well as representatives of four districts of Budapest.
The letter was drafted on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and War of Liberation. In it, the Hungarian mayors drew a parallel between the Hungarians’ struggle for freedom and Ukraine’s current defensive war against Russian aggression.
“We strongly condemn the full-scale war unleashed by Russia’s political leadership against Ukraine, which has been ongoing for more than four and a half years. No historical grievance, political interest, or great power’s desire for domination can justify a military invasion of an independent country,” the letter states.
The signatories emphasized that partnerships between cities should not be limited to official agreements, reciprocal visits, and joint events. In their view, true sister-city relationships entail a willingness to help one another in difficult circumstances.
Such support is particularly crucial as winter approaches, which may prove to be a severe ordeal for Ukraine due to the consequences of Russian aggression.
“Therefore, we, the signatories of this statement, pledge to use all available means, to the best of our ability, to assist the relevant Ukrainian communities, paying special attention to preparations for the approaching winter and the most urgent humanitarian needs of the population,” the Hungarian mayors stated.
Thus, Hungarian municipalities have declared their readiness to allocate resources to support Ukrainian communities, particularly to prepare for the cold season and meet their most urgent humanitarian needs.
The authors of the open letter also appealed to all Hungarian local governments that already have sister-city relationships with Ukrainian communities or are planning to establish such relationships.
They called on local authorities to establish contact with their Ukrainian partners, assess their needs, and involve as wide a range of participants as possible in providing assistance.
“We urge them to contact their Ukrainian partners, assess their needs, and mobilize the residents of their towns, communities, institutions, civil society organizations, and businesses to provide assistance,” the appeal states.
The initiative by the Hungarian mayors aims to unite local communities, organizations, and businesses to support Ukraine ahead of winter. The authors of the letter place particular emphasis on the humanitarian needs of the population and on providing aid to Ukrainian sister cities.
This is reported in a letter published on the Budapest City Council’s website.
Slovakia and Hungary will not participate in financing the additional €70 billion in aid for Ukraine that Volodymyr Zelenskyy requested from the European Union for 2027. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico made this statement, adding that Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar shares this position. At the same time, both countries will not stand in the way of other EU members if they agree to provide the funds.
On October 20, Vietnam announced that it would provide $500,000 in humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
