Hungary must remain neutral and avoid being drawn into the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated an interview on Friday, October 3rd.
He called the current situation in Ukraine “unprecedented,” stressing that neither side is willing to negotiate.
He also harshly criticized the EU for pushing Ukraine toward further conflict instead of seeking diplomatic talks with Russia, warning that “the longer the war goes on, the more people will die.”
One of the biggest concerns raised by Orbán is Ukraine’s potential EU accession. The prime minister stressed that such a move would require unanimous support from all 27 member states, reiterating that Hungary will not agree to Ukraine joining the bloc at this time.
He also stressed that the Ukrainian EU membership would effectively drag Hungary into the ongoing conflict, saying
We sympathize with the heroic Ukrainian struggle, but we don’t want to share their fate.
Budapest, however, would back a bilateral partnership with Ukraine, similar to the arrangement the EU has with the UK and Turkey, but not the full membership.
Orbán also reminded that Brussels’ pressure has had unintended consequences as well, including the closer ties between Hungary and Slovakia in their joint defense of sovereignty. “Small nations are rowing in the same boat,” Orbán noted, framing the moment as one of growing solidarity against centralized EU authority.
