A new opinion piece published in the Russian state outlet RIA Novosti shortly after Hungary’s 23 October national holiday has drawn attention for its provocative tone. In it, Viktoria Nikiforova, one of Vladimir Putin’s most prominent propagandists, declared:
Budapest will be ours.
The statement is alarming not only because of its content but also because it came just a day after the anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution against Soviet oppression.
A “very well timed” article
Nikiforova, who has been sanctioned by several Western countries, is a long-time key figure in the Kremlin’s propaganda machine, writes Index. Her article, titled “Budapest Is Ours: The West’s Division Gives Ukraine No Chance,” argues that the West is paralysed by internal conflicts and that the United States is torn apart by what she calls “two oligarchic clans”: the globalists and the isolationists.
According to Nikiforova, this divide prevents Europe from making any decisive moves regarding Ukraine, resulting in a stalemate. She claims that while Europe is caught up in its own contradictions, Ukraine faces a grim winter “without light, water, or heating,” and that “on Western orders,” more and more Ukrainian soldiers are dying on the frontlines.
They did “everything” to achieve piece in Ukraine
The author insists that Russia has “done everything possible for peace” but that it must now move forward. She warns that future conditions for Kyiv will become even harsher, as Russian troops continue to advance, nuclear exercises persist, and any attack against Russia would trigger – quoting Putin – “a very serious, shocking response.”
One of the article’s most unsettling lines reads: “The consistency of Moscow’s strategy guarantees that Budapest will be ours.” The phrase can be interpreted in several ways.
Ambiguous statement to say the least
Some suggest that Nikiforova might have been referring to Budapest as the potential location for future peace talks where Moscow could dictate terms. Others see it as a geopolitical message implying that Hungary has already fallen under Russia’s influence – or that the Kremlin at least perceives it that way.