Exclusive | Former NY Gov. Pataki visits war-torn Ukraine, Hungary in freedom tour

Former three-term New York Gov. George Pataki is heading to Ukraine on a humanitarian trip after visiting Hungary to commemorate the 70th anniversary of that country’s revolt against the Soviet Union in 1956.

Pataki, whose family hails from Hungary, said promoting freedom in both countries is important amid Russian aggression.

This is the ex-Republican governor’s seventh trip to Ukraine as part of his Pataki Center’s humanitarian campaign to aid the war-torn country following Russia’s invasion in 2022.

This time, his group is sponsoring youth sports programs.

“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, during a phone interview from Budapest after meeting with Prime Minister Péter Magyar.

It’s personal for Pataki.

As a child in Peekskill, NY, he recalled sitting with his grandfather and watching the Hungarian rebellion against the communist Soviet regime on TV.

“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.

“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.”

The Hungarian revolt has inspired generations facing oppression, Pataki said.

“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 said it’s important now to stand up for Ukraine.

The trip to Ukraine on Saturday is under the auspices of the US Department of State and President Trump to promote sports diplomacy between the two countries.

Pataki declined to comment on how he thinks Trump is handling the Russia-Ukraine war.

Critics have accused Trump of undermining Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his victimized citizens and going easy on Russian President Vladimir Putin and the aggressors.

“Our job is to help the people of Ukraine,” he said. “I’ll leave the politics to others.”