Orbán finds new excuse to block Ukraine's EU membership
Photo: Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary (facebook.com/orbanviktor)
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has once again voiced strong opposition to Ukraine's accession to the European Union, this time citing the ongoing war as the primary reason, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.
Ahead of the EU summit, Orbán emphasized that the war in Ukraine is the main issue, and because of it, Hungary is not ready to support the integration of a country that is engaged in active armed conflict.
"The problem is the war. If we integrate Ukraine into the EU, we're integrating the war. And we don't want to be part of a community with a country that is at war, that is projecting war onto us as well. That means if a member of the European Union is at war, the EU is at war. And we don't like that," Orbán told reporters.
When asked whether he would be willing to unblock accession talks if Russia agreed to a ceasefire, the Hungarian Prime Minister did not give a clear answer. Orbán stated that currently, “there is no ceasefire at all.”
Just a day earlier, during his speech at the NATO summit, the Hungarian Prime Minister pledged to block Ukraine's accession to both NATO and the EU.
Hungary continues to block Ukraine's EU path
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has repeatedly stated his opposition to Ukraine joining the European Union.
The Hungarian leader, a close ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, has said he will do everything in his power to prevent Ukraine’s EU membership, claiming that if he doesn’t, his "conscience would suffer."
Orbán also organized a survey among Hungarians to gather public opinion on Ukraine's potential EU membership.
For more details on why Hungary is blocking the start of Ukraine's EU accession talks, read our material on the topic.
