World

The Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta has appealed to the public to make donations for people fleeing and suffering from the effects of the war in Ukraine.

Some 1,600 people fleeing the fighting in Ukraine have arrived in the eastern Hungarian border town of Zahony over the last two days, the town's mayor said on Friday.

European Union leaders have agreed to impose a "robust package of sanctions" in a gradual manner, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in connection with the Russian attack on Ukraine on Friday.

"Totally unfounded lies and disinformation" have been published on the ethnic community of Transcarpathia, in southwest Ukraine, Zoltan Kovacs, the state secretary for international communication and relations, said on social media.

The city council of Debrecen, in eastern Hungary, on Friday said it is partnering with the umbrella organisation of local charities, the Debreceni Karitativ Testulet, to provide aid to refugees fleeing Ukraine.

Ukrainian-Hungarian border crossings and Hungarian diplomatic representations are operating at full capacity, the foreign minister said on Friday.

"We have issued a joint condemnation of Russia's military action against Ukraine and decided on uniform sanctions", Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after the emergency EU summit in Brussels on Friday.

All staff of Hungary's embassy in Kyiv are working to ensure that everyone seeking assistance is provided it, the foreign minister said on Thursday, but "evacuating people [from the country] is basically impossible".

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto branded as "a foul lie" reports that Hungarian citizens seeking refuge at the Hungarian embassy in Kiev had been sent away.

The Federation of Jewish Communities in Hungary (Mazsihisz) has expressed its concern over Russia's attack on Ukraine, adding it has begun preparations to help any potential refugees coming to Hungary.