Hungary ready to take care of potential refugees from Ukraine if needed -govt

BUDAPEST - Hungary could take care of tens of thousands of potential refugees from Ukraine if needed, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff said on Wednesday.

"Asylum rules are clear, the first safe country needs to provide shelter," Gergely Gulyas told a briefing, adding that Hungary's interest was that war should be avoided in the Russia-Ukraine stand-off.

Russia has troops massed near Ukraine and the United States has warned that Russia was planning an attack. Moscow denies any such plans.