Orban vows to 'do everything' to prevent Ukraine from joining EU
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban railed against Ukraine's future accession to the European Union in a social media post on June 3, promising to "do everything" to prevent Ukraine from joining the bloc.
Under the Orban regime, Hungary has become widely regarded as the most Kremlin-friendly state in the EU. Budapest has been blocking the opening of EU accession negotiation clusters with Kyiv and signaled further obstruction in recent weeks after Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said it had uncovered a Hungarian spy network in western Ukraine.
In a Facebook post on June 3, Orban called EU expansion "a noble idea" but excoriated "the bureaucrats in Brussels" for promoting Ukraine's membership.
"For Brussels, Ukrainian accession is a vital issue: political damage control and good business in the midst of a losing war," he wrote.
Orban claimed that Kyiv's membership would hurt Hungarian interests and have economic drawbacks for Europe.
"Ukraine would suck up every euro, forint and zloty that we have spent so far on strengthening European families, European farmers, and European industry. ... In 10 years, I would not be able to answer my conscience to myself, my grandchildren, or the country if I did not do everything now to protect Hungary and the European Union from the Brussels fever dream of Ukrainian accession."
Orban encouraged Hungarians to vote in a non-binding national poll on Ukraine's EU bid that the government launched in early March. The poll has garnered criticism for low turnout and manipulative questions, written to encourage citizens to reject Ukraine's accession.
Kyiv formally applied for EU membership in 2022 and began accession talks in June 2024. EU leaders have set 2030 as a tentative target date for Ukraine's potential entry. As a member state, Hungary holds veto power over each phase of the process.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on May 9 that while the EU would prefer to secure unanimous support, it has alternative plans if Hungary vetoes Ukraine's accession to the bloc.
After the scandal regarding the alleged spy ring broke out in early May, Budapest announced it is suspending talks with Ukraine on "national minority rights," long presented by Hungary as the main roadblock in accession negotiations.
Read also: 'Tattoos of war' — haunting portraits of Ukrainians' most painful wartime memories (Photos)
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