BUDAPEST, March 14. /TASS/. Budapest will block Ukraine’s premature accession to the European Union as it believes that Brussels is promising EU membership to Kiev only to make it maintain military operations against Russia, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told the Kossuth radio station.
He pointed out that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had earlier confirmed plans to ensure Ukraine’s accession to the EU by 2030. "Today, Brussels’ official position is that Ukraine should be granted EU membership as soon as possible. The idea is that it should happen within a year or two," the Hungarian premier noted.
"Let’s not forget that meanwhile, another decision has been made," Orban went on to say. According to him, "European leaders have decided that Ukraine should continue military operations [against Russia] in exchange for fast-track EU membership."
"It will ruin the entire European Union. It will destroy us," the prime minister stated. He elaborated that Ukraine’s rushed accession to the EU would cause irreparable damage to European countries in areas such as the economy, labor market, healthcare, public security, and border protection, to say nothing of national security.
"Ukraine’s full-fledged EU membership will devastate Hungary’s economy," Orban emphasized. This is why Hungary will not allow "several foolish people in Brussels" to put this decision to paper without taking the opinions of all countries into account, he warned.
Orban was also confident that Western Balkan nations, namely North Macedonia, Serbia, and Montenegro, were much better prepared to join the EU than Ukraine. In his view, they can be granted membership "as early as tomorrow morning," and the move would benefit the entire Europe.