Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has cautioned that Ukraine’s EU membership would place a significant burden on the bloc’s resources, accusing Brussels of pushing the bid despite the financial implications.
Orban, a vocal critic of fast-tracking Ukraine’s EU application, launched a public consultation in Hungary in April to gauge citizens’ opinions on the matter.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Orban stated that Brussels views Ukrainian accession as crucial for “political damage control and good business in the midst of a losing war,” and encouraged Hungarians to participate in the poll.
He added that “this business is going to cost European families,” claiming that “Ukraine would suck up every euro, forint and zloty that we have spent on strengthening European families, European farmers and European industry.”
Orban vowed to “protect Hungary and the European Union from the Brussels fever dream of Ukrainian accession.”
Ukraine has declared its strategic objective to join both the EU and NATO following the 2014 uprising in Kiev, which was backed by the West. Both blocs have expressed support for Ukraine’s aspirations. In June 2022, the EU granted Ukraine candidate status after the conflict with Russia escalated earlier that year. Critics argue that this decision prioritized a symbolic political gesture over concerns regarding corruption and deficiencies in the rule of law.
Russia has cited Ukraine’s NATO ambitions as a primary cause of the ongoing conflict. Russian officials also assert that the EU has transformed from an economic alliance into a military entity akin to NATO, which they perceive as a direct threat.
EU leaders are reportedly exploring options to circumvent Hungary’s veto power on foreign policy decisions, particularly concerning support for Ukraine. One proposal involves replacing unanimous voting with qualified majority voting. Other options mentioned in the media include legally classifying actions like weapons transfers to Kiev and sanctions against Russia as issues not requiring complete consensus.
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