Irish PM says Hungary's EU veto on Ukraine is 'regrettable'
Photo: Micheál Martin, Prime Minister of Ireland (Vitalii Nosach/RBC-Ukraine)
The position of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán regarding Ukraine’s accession to the European Union is "regrettable," The Guardian reports, citing Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin.
Responding to a question about Ukraine's path to EU membership, Martin called Orbán's stance "deeply, deeply regrettable" and "very problematic."
Irish Prime Minister added that Dublin "will do what we always do, would seek to persuade" because "it's very important that that accession pathway starts." Martin emphasized that EU membership had a transformative impact on Ireland, and for that reason, he does not want to stand in the way of any country that wishes to join the union.
Ukraine's accession into EU
Orbán has repeatedly stated that he does not support Ukraine's membership in the European Union. Hungarian PM has even declared that he would do everything in his power to block it, claiming that otherwise, his "conscience would suffer."
The Hungarian Prime Minister also launched surveys in his country to gauge public opinion on Ukraine's potential accession.
In addition to opposing EU integration, Orbán is also against Ukraine joining NATO.
For more details on why Hungary is blocking the start of Ukraine's EU accession talks, read our material on the topic.
