Orban Warns Against Ukraine's EU Membership
(MENAFN) Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has expressed concerns that Ukraine's potential membership in the European Union could jeopardize Hungary's security and increase the risk of conflict in the region.
Ukraine, which received EU candidate status in 2022, has made joining the bloc a top national priority.
Brussels has suggested 2030 as a potential target for accession, but any such decision requires approval from all current EU member states.
Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland have voiced opposition, raising issues about Ukraine’s readiness and the financial burden its membership might impose on the EU.
Additionally, Warsaw has called for Ukraine to address war crimes committed by Ukrainians during World War II before moving forward with its membership.
In a Friday interview, Orban, whose country shares a border with Ukraine, warned that Hungary would be particularly vulnerable to any escalation resulting from EU enlargement.
He claimed that full Ukrainian membership in the EU would inevitably bring "war risks."
"Ukraine is a buffer state, and we do not wish to share its fate. We understand what that means, having once been on the western periphery of the Soviet Union," Orban stated.
He further argued that accepting Ukraine into the EU would turn Hungary into a battleground.
"If Ukraine’s membership is accepted, then we will become the battlefield. The war will geographically affect the neighboring region. This is unacceptable. A lot of young Hungarians would also die. This is not a tactical issue, but an existential one," he emphasized.
As an alternative, Orban suggested that a strategic partnership with the EU could offer a less risky approach than full membership.
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