Hungarians will decide whether to support Kiev’s accession to the EU without external influence, according to the prime minister
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky would like to see a pro-Kiev government in Budapest that will approve his country’s accession to the EU, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said. He has vowed to ensure that Hungarians have their say without external pressure.
Ukraine formally applied to join the bloc in February 2022, following the escalation of hostilities with Russia. Membership requires the unanimous approval of all current EU member states.
In a post on X on Monday, Orban’s spokesperson, Zoltan Kovacs, quoted the Hungarian leader as saying during a parliamentary session that “Zelensky wants a Ukraine-friendly government [installed] in Hungary.” Orban further suggested that the Ukrainian leader had reached an agreement with Brussels on Kiev’s accelerated EU accession, and now expects Hungary to rubber-stamp it.
Orban stressed that “there will never be a situation where Kiev or Brussels dictates how Hungarians exercise their rightful sovereignty,” and repeated his arguments that Ukraine’s accession would be ruinous for Hungary’s economy.
He urged Hungarians to take part in Voks 2025, which is a consultative vote featuring a single question: “Do you support Ukraine’s European Union membership?”
Addressing lawmakers in parliament, Orban also accused the opposition Democratic Coalition, whom he branded the “agents of Brussels,” of seeking to “remove Hungary’s national government, bring Ukraine into the EU, drag Hungary into the war [and] unleash migrants on us.”
Last Friday, the Hungarian prime minister lambasted Brussels’ plans to admit Ukraine into the bloc by 2030 – a target recently referenced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Zelensky responded by citing domestic polling in Hungary and claiming that “70% support Ukraine joining the EU. That means people in Hungary are with us.”
However, the poll conducted by the opposition Tisza Party to which Zelensky referred actually indicated only 58% support, while an earlier survey produced a figure even lower, at 47%.
In a post on X, Orban emphasized that “there is no Ukrainian EU accession without Hungary,” promising that “every Hungarian will have their say on this. Whether you like it or not.”
The Hungarian government has long criticized the EU’s policies on the Ukraine conflict, including weapons deliveries to Kiev and sanctions against Moscow.
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