The Hungarian Representative to NATO Provoked a Diplomatic Scandal with a Christmas Gift.

The Hungarian Ambassador to NATO, István Balog, has caused a scandal over a Christmas gift. He presented his colleagues in Brussels with a geographical atlas featuring illustrated maps of 'Greater Hungary,' which extends beyond the current borders of Hungary. This was reported by the Hungarian website Telex.

Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman expressed his outrage over such a gift. He considers it offensive due to the mention of historical Greater Hungary.

“It is very unusual that embassies of other countries at NATO present a controversial atlas, where even if Greater Hungary is not mentioned directly, there are contentious maps and texts,” he wrote on social media.

The minister added that he plans to discuss this gesture with politicians from Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

The Slovenian Foreign Ministry emphasized the importance of respecting and remembering the officially recognized borders.

“The atlas represents the history and maps of the Carpathian Basin, which also depict areas beyond the current borders of Hungary,” stated the Slovenian Foreign Ministry.

The Romanian publication Digi24 reported that the Romanian Foreign Ministry has pointed out the provocative nature of this atlas concerning relations between Romania and Hungary and their allies in NATO.

“The Foreign Ministry reiterates its position that any statement or provocative gesture can worsen the partnership between Romania and Hungary. Shared history should remain a subject of study for historians,” the Romanian Foreign Ministry stated in a press release.

Hungarian representatives use the symbolism of Greater Hungary, including its map. The borders of Greater Hungary cover parts of the territories of modern Austria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine.

It is worth noting that during the draw of the group stage of the European qualification for the 2026 World Cup, the International Football Federation (FIFA) displayed a map of Ukraine without Crimea.