The Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto emphasized on September 5 that Budapest is not changing its negative stance on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. He noted that the country’s decision is not influenced by the views of other states, particularly Russia.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Hungary’s Position on Ukraine’s Eurointegration
Szijjarto made his statement in response to comments from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who expressed surprise at Hungary’s unwavering opposition to Ukraine’s Eurointegration aspirations during a speech in Uzhhorod. The minister stressed that Hungary’s position is shaped solely by internal considerations, not external influences.
“We do not care what Moscow thinks about Ukraine’s EU membership. The only thing that concerns us is what the Hungarian people think, and they have clearly expressed that they do not want Ukraine in the EU, as it would destroy our farmers, our labor market, and our security,” Szijjarto wrote on social media platform X.
He also added that regardless of how much Ukraine hopes for Russian influence regarding Hungary’s position, the country will not support Ukraine’s Eurointegration.
Negotiations and Reactions from Other Parties
On the same day, Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his willingness to meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to discuss the possibility of unblocking negotiations on Ukraine’s EU membership. The president pointed out the change in Russia’s position, which, according to him, now perceives Ukraine’s membership in the European Union, and called on other partners close to Moscow to also heed this signal.
Earlier, Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated that the main obstacle to Ukraine’s EU membership is the war, not the issue of minority rights, as had been the case previously. He emphasized that Ukraine’s integration into the EU would mean the “integration of war” into the union.
On June 26, during the EU summit, Hungary blocked the opening of the first negotiation cluster with Ukraine, despite a positive assessment from the European Commission regarding Ukraine’s readiness for this stage of negotiations. In October 2024, the European Commission confirmed that Ukraine had fulfilled all necessary steps outlined in the 2022 conclusions.
After a meeting with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Beijing, Russian leader Vladimir Putin stated that “Russia has never opposed Ukraine’s EU membership, while NATO is a different matter.”