'My conscience won't allow it': Orbán vows to block Ukraine's EU membership
Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán (facebook.com/orbanviktor)
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is determined to do everything possible to prevent Ukraine from joining the European Union, saying that otherwise, his "conscience would suffer," according to the Hungarian leader.
According to Orbán, EU enlargement is a noble idea — but not when it comes to Ukraine's accession. In his words, for the "Brussels bureaucracy," it is simply "a convenient deal in the context of a lost war."
"Ukraine will drain every euro, forint, and zloty that we have invested in supporting European families, farmers, and industry. Of course, the bureaucrats don't care where Europeans' money goes," the Hungarian Prime Minister stated.
He claimed that in ten years, he "won't be able to answer to his conscience, to his grandchildren, or to his country" if he doesn't now "do everything to protect Hungary and the European Union from Brussels' dream of Ukraine's accession."
"So, despite the heat and the upcoming holidays, we must talk about VOKS (a public consultation in Hungary on attitudes toward Ukraine's EU membership – ed.). Every hour of every day, so that as many Hungarians as possible can express their opinion on what kind of country and Union they want to live in for the coming decades," Orbán added.
Hungary blocks Ukraine's EU accession
Hungary is blocking the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has repeatedly stated that he does not support Ukraine's membership in the EU.
He also launched a public survey in Hungary to gauge citizens' opinions on the matter.
In April, the Hungarian opposition party TISZA released the results of its own poll, which showed that 58% of Hungarian citizens support Ukraine joining the EU. More than 1.1 million people took part in the survey.
Orbán, however, boasted on social media that he personally voted against Ukraine's accession to the European Union.
He has also argued that Ukraine's membership is not in Hungary's interest, claiming it threatens the country's economy. According to him, one of the main concerns is that the EU would be expected to support a million-strong Ukrainian army.
He even went so far as to call Ukraine's accession to the EU "economic suicide."
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has stated that the European Union is aware of how to proceed if Hungary's veto cannot be overcome. Both Plan B and Plan C are under consideration.
Most recently, Orbán again voiced opposition to Ukraine's membership, claiming he wants peace in Europe — and that Ukraine supposedly stands in the way.
