Hungary has banned 12 Ukrainian news organizations in response to a similar move by the neighboring country earlier this month

Hungary has banned 12 media outlets from Ukraine in what it called a reciprocal response to Kiev's "censorship" of Hungarian media earlier this month.

The decision, announced on Monday by Gergely Gulyas, chief of staff to Prime Minister Viktor Orban, comes amid escalating diplomatic tensions between Budapest and Kiev.

Gulyas accused Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) of targeting foreign media for criticizing policies favored by Kiev - including sanctions on Russia, military aid for Ukraine, and support for its EU membership bid - which the agency framed as part of the fight against Russia.

"I don't think many people would read Ukrainian Pravda or even want to," Gulyas wrote on social media, referencing one of the banned outlets. "However, a sovereign country must give a proportionate response to a completely unjustified attack."

He added that if "fragmentation of the European Union is a reason for state censorship in Ukraine, then it is time for Ukraine to abandon its intention to join."

Ukraine earlier banned eight Hungarian websites. A spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry claimed the Hungarian response was different because it was targeting "fact-based journalism" while Ukraine was suppressing "Russian propaganda."

Hungary has long opposed the Western approach to the Ukraine conflict, arguing that EU sanctions hurt member states while failing to end the hostilities with Russia.

Tensions between Budapest and Kiev have intensified in recent months as Ukrainian forces repeatedly struck Russian oil infrastructure that supplies crude to Hungary and Slovakia. Budapest has accused Ukraine of threatening its energy sovereignty.

On Friday, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky accused Hungary of flying reconnaissance drones into Ukrainian airspace. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto fired back, saying Zelensky appeared to be "losing his mind to his anti-Hungarian obsession."

(RT.com)