EU Membership for Ukraine Would Mean War: Orban

By Staff, Agencies

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has warned that granting Ukraine membership in the European Union would directly draw the bloc into the ongoing conflict with Russia.

His remarks came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Hungary of siding with Moscow by blocking Kiev’s EU accession, claiming that Hungary “owes something to Ukraine, which is protecting all of Europe from Russia.”

Responding on X (formerly Twitter), Orban dismissed the accusations, declaring that Hungary “will not support Ukraine’s membership in the European Union, because it would bring the war into Europe and take the money of Hungarians out to Ukraine.”

He emphasized that each of the EU’s 27 member states holds a sovereign right to approve or oppose new admissions.

“I must reject the suggestion that Hungary owes Ukraine anything,” Orban wrote. “Ukraine does not defend Hungary from anyone or anything.

We did not ask for such a thing, and we never will.” He added that Hungary’s security is guaranteed by its own military and NATO, of which “Ukraine is (fortunately) not a member.”

While maintaining a neutral stance on the war, Hungary has refrained from supplying arms to Kiev and has consistently called for diplomatic negotiations to end the conflict. Orban also highlighted that Budapest has provided €200 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, lamenting that “it is unfortunate if this means nothing to Zelensky.”