Hungarian PM thinks Ukraine won't join EU because it can't be accepted into NATO
One of the arguments against Ukraine's accession to the EU put forward by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was that it should not happen before Ukraine joins NATO, which, in his opinion, would mean dragging the Alliance into a war and is therefore impossible.
Source: Orbán in an interview with LCI, a French free-to-air news channel, as reported by European Pravda
Details: The Hungarian PM repeated his regular statements that Ukraine's accession to the EU would be an economic disaster for the European Union.
He also tried to link the impossibility of Ukraine's accession to the EU with the fact that it would first have to become a member of NATO, as was the case with other Central and Eastern European countries.
"First, everyone was accepted into NATO, which was a guarantee of security from a military point of view, and only then could the country join the EU. But now this is impossible. If Ukraine joins NATO, it would immediately mean war between NATO and Russia... For us Hungarians and for Europeans, it is not in our interest to face the threat of war and direct conflict with Russia," Orbán said.
The interviewer reminded Orbán of the Soviet tanks in Budapest and asked why he was so unwilling to understand Ukraine's position.
The Hungarian PM replied that Hungary "understands Ukraine's history a little better than France" and went on to mention that Hungary had also experienced occupation in its history.
"So yes, we understand Ukrainians. But we believe that Russia does not need to be loved, but agreements must be reached with it. Russia is a geopolitical reality, even if we don't like it," Orbán said.
The interviewer asked Orbán whether his flirtation with Moscow was a reflection of fear of Russia.
"No, no, it's the opposite. I think the Russians only understand the language of force. And Europe must be strong and negotiate from a position of strength. But, unfortunately, we are weak, so we need the United States... We need a strategic agreement with Russia, but only a strong Europe will be capable of this," he said.
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