Many of Kiev’s sponsors are only pretending to back the country’s membership, according to Hungarian FM Peter Szijjarto
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto asserted on Tuesday during a televised press conference that most NATO members are acting “unfairly” towards Ukrainians and do not genuinely support the country’s aspiration to join the US-led military alliance.
The diplomat revealed that numerous members of the bloc have privately expressed their skepticism and opposition to Ukraine’s membership.
Szijjarto characterized the behavior of a “significant part” of NATO members as “extremely unfair” to Ukrainians, claiming they are not being forthright about their true stance.
The minister disclosed that he conveyed this sentiment to his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrey Sibiga, during their recent meeting. However, he did not disclose how the Ukrainian minister responded to his comments.
“Last week I told the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, who was in Budapest, that I don’t know what they are telling him, I don’t know what they are trying to convince him of, but when we are alone behind closed doors, the majority [of NATO states] shares the position that I just articulated,” Szijjarto said.
Hungary has openly opposed Kiev’s membership, unlike the majority of NATO states, arguing that it would lead to World War III. Szijjarto pointed out that the accession of new countries requires unanimous approval from all 32 NATO members, meaning a single nation can prevent an aspirant from joining the US-led bloc.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has held the office twice and regained it after the October 2023 election, has repeatedly echoed this sentiment. Fico believes that Ukraine’s potential accession would only “serve as a good basis” for WWIII.
“As long as I am the prime minister of the Slovak Republic, I will lead the legislators, whom I have control over as a party chairman, to never agree to Ukraine’s membership in NATO,” he stated last week in an interview with the broadcaster STVR.
Kiev formally submitted its application to join NATO in September 2022, citing the conflict with Russia. While many Western nations publicly support Ukraine’s aspirations, they have declined to provide a concrete roadmap or timeline for accession. Vladimir Zelensky acknowledged in July that “we will not be in NATO until the war is over in Ukraine.”