President Volodymyr Zelensky has not minced words again when expressing an opinion about Hungary’s prime minister and his Ukraine policy at a recent press conference.
In his remarks on October 6th, Zelensky declared that Ukraine “will be in the European Union with or without Orbán,” describing accession as “the choice of the Ukrainian people.”
He claimed “the majority of Hungarians support” Ukraine’s membership and accused the Hungarian leader of being “the only one who is slowing down the process.”
Viktor Orbán swiftly responded with a sharply worded tweet, accusing the Ukrainian president of trying to pressure Hungary through “moral blackmail.”
It turns out that President Zelensky wants to decide what’s best for the Hungarians. … With all due respect, Hungary has no moral obligation to support Ukraine’s EU accession. No country has ever blackmailed its way into the European Union—and it won’t happen this time either.
The Hungarian leader reminded Zelensky that EU treaties require unanimous consent for enlargement and insisted that “the Hungarian people have made up their minds,” referring to a nationwide consultation held earlier this year in which over 95% of respondents opposed Ukraine’s accession.
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó echoed Orbán’s stance, stating:
Deciding which country is ready to join the EU is not up to the President of Ukraine. It is up to the EU, where such decisions require unanimity. The Hungarian people have already made their decision, and we represent their will in Brussels.
Hungary’s objections to Ukraine’s membership go beyond political manoeuvring.
Budapest argues that Ukraine’s accession would harm the EU’s economy and that Kyiv continues to violate the rights of its Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia. Reports of intimidation, attacks against Hungarian community leaders, and restrictions on minority language use have been a persistent source of tension.
Meanwhile, Hungary has criticised Ukraine’s repeated strikes on the Druzhba oil pipeline, which delivers Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia. Budapest says the attacks threaten its energy security and accuses Brussels of remaining “complicitly silent” in the face of these risks.
The Central European nation has been the only EU member state since the beginning of the war to oppose sending weapons to Ukraine, maintaining a pro-peace policy focused on negotiation rather than escalation.
All these issues have angered Ukraine which seems intent on blaming and punishing Hungary.
However, Kyiv’s failure to address corruption, minority rights abuses, and its attacks on energy infrastructure in neighbouring states undermines its moral authority to demand fast-tracked accession.
Ukraine still has considerable work to do before it can meet the political and ethical standards expected of EU membership.
Zelensky’s latest remarks come amid moves in Brussels to dilute Hungary’s veto power over enlargement by introducing qualified majority voting in the intermediate phases of accession talks. Orbán’s government has condemned the plan as an open violation of EU treaties and a threat to national sovereignty.
