BUDAPEST, July 11. /TASS/. The European Union must not accept Ukraine as its member not only because it is not ready but also because this would mean entering a war with Russia, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told Radio Kossuth.
"We do not see the contours of Ukraine’s future modern economy, much like we don’t see any intention to end the war. Imagine if Ukraine would become a member of the European Union today. Then the European Union would instantly be at war with Russia," the head of the Hungarian government said.
However, Orban lamented that at each EU summit he keeps hearing from other European leaders that Ukraine had purportedly fulfilled all conditions to join the union. "Essentially, they are claiming that corruption there has been eradicated, the rule of law is enforced, human rights are observed, and the economy is becoming more stable," the Hungarian prime minister noted.
In his view, this is far from the actual situation. "Those who are saying that Ukraine is ready to join the European Union are completely out of touch with reality," Orban concluded.
Over recent months, the Hungarian government has been insisting that it won’t allow Ukraine’s accelerated accession to the EU as it would ruin Europe’s economy and result in a direct armed conflict with Russia. At the EU summit in Brussels on June 26 he vetoed a joint statement of support for Ukraine that would have cleared the way for negotiations to bring it into the EU.
On that day, Hungary announced the results of a referendum of over two million residents, with 95% of them being against Ukraine’s speedy accession to the European Union. Orban repeatedly insisted that he will be guided by the opinion of Hungarians during consultations with his European colleagues.