Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has stated that Ukraine’s accession to the European Union poses a threat to his country’s economy and expressed concern over the EU’s financial support for the Ukrainian army. He also criticized the European Commission’s plans to admit Ukraine by 2030, reports the Baltimore Chronicle, citing Magyar Nemzet.
Speaking on Kossuth Radio, Orbán said that Hungary had lost several billion euros over the past three years due to the war. According to him, these funds could have remained within the European economy if they hadn’t been allocated to support Ukraine. He emphasized that European leaders continue to back Ukraine even contrary to the position of the United States, and claimed that financing the Ukrainian army without U.S. participation is unacceptable.
Orbán also voiced concerns about the European Commission’s intention to integrate Ukraine into the EU by 2030, arguing that this could lead to the collapse of Hungary’s economy. He called on citizens to share their opinions on Ukraine’s membership through a survey initiated by his government.
The Prime Minister also pointed out that the EU might need to take on a large joint loan to fund Ukraine, which, in his view, would deepen Europe’s debt crisis. He stressed that part of this money could end up in large companies already operating in Ukraine, repeating a scenario where, after Hungary joined the EU, some of its funds went to foreign corporations.
Earlier, Hungary blocked a joint EU statement concerning the International Criminal Court’s warrant for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin, which drew criticism from other EU members. It was also reported that Hungary launched a consultative survey on Ukraine’s EU accession, in which Orbán publicly voted against it.
Earlier we wrote that Orban says Europe ‘needs to earn’ seat at Ukraine negotiating table.