BUDAPEST, September 3. /TASS/. Ukraine is not yet ready to join the European Union, as it is in a state of conflict with another country and has not fulfilled its promise to restore the rights of the Hungarian national minority in Transcarpathia, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar.
In response to a question at a press conference about Ukraine’s readiness to join the EU, he noted that it is "a country in a state of war. It is clearly not ready to join the European Union. No matter what EU leaders or member states try to instill in Ukraine, I believe this is wrong."
Magyar also said that Kiev have not yet fulfilled the agreement with Budapest on restoring the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia, which were taken away from them after 2015. According to him, he has not yet seen any progress in implementing this agreement.
Magyar confirmed that his government has agreed to begin negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU, but he opposes accelerating this process for political reasons. The decision should be made solely on the basis of the candidate country’s achievements, Magyar said. Once this process is completed, the final decision on admitting Ukraine to the European Union will be made in Hungary through a nationwide referendum.
The previous Hungarian government, led by Viktor Orban, also opposed the hasty admission of Ukraine into the EU, noting that the country is in a state of conflict with Russia and does not meet the criteria for membership in the European community.