Former three-term New York Gov. George Pataki is traveling to Ukraine on a humanitarian mission after visiting Hungary to mark the 70th anniversary of the country’s 1956 uprising against Soviet rule.
Pataki, whose family is of Hungarian descent, said defending freedom in both Hungary and Ukraine carries renewed importance as Russia continues its aggression.
The trip marks Pataki’s seventh visit to Ukraine through the Pataki Center’s humanitarian initiative, which has provided aid to the country since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
On this visit, the organization is backing youth sports programs designed to support children affected by the war.
“We want to help kids living in this horrible time to have some fun and provide hope for the future,” Pataki told The Post Thursday in a phone interview from Budapest, where he had met with Prime Minister Péter Magyar.
For Pataki, the mission is also deeply personal.
Growing up in Peekskill, N.Y., he remembered watching televised coverage of Hungary’s revolt against the Soviet-backed communist regime alongside his grandfather.
“I was just a young boy, but I will never forget the emotion and pride my grandfather felt as the Hungarian people stood up against Soviet oppression. He taught me that freedom is never guaranteed and that the courage of ordinary people can change the course of history,” Pataki said.
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“Seventy years later, returning to Hungary to honor those brave men and women is not just a privilege as a former governor of New York, it is deeply personal to me and my family,” he said.
“Seventy years ago, the Hungarian people stood up against tyranny and sent a powerful message to the world: freedom is worth fighting for.”
Pataki said the Hungarian uprising continues to resonate with people confronting oppression around the world.
“The lessons of 1956 must never be forgotten,” he said. “The heroes of the Hungarian Revolution remind us that even in the darkest moments, the human desire for freedom cannot be extinguished.”
He argued that the same principle makes supporting Ukraine essential today.
Pataki is scheduled to travel to Ukraine Saturday under the auspices of the US Department of State and President Trump, with the visit focused on advancing sports diplomacy between the two countries.
Pataki declined to offer his assessment of Trump’s approach to the Russia-Ukraine war.
Critics have accused Trump of weakening Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and failing to adequately support Ukrainians while taking a softer approach toward Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow’s invasion.
“Our job is to help the people of Ukraine,” Pataki said. “I’ll leave the politics to others.”
