Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated that Ukraine’s integration into the European Union is an “unprofitable deal” and would be a “burden” for member states. He made this statement on the social media platform X.
According to Orban, unlike Hungary’s accession to the EU—which, in his view, brought tangible benefits to the bloc—Ukraine’s integration does not offer added value and instead represents an economic burden.
When Hungary joined the EU, it was beneficial. Ukraine, on the other hand, is not added value but a burden, he emphasized.
The Hungarian leader also criticized the EU’s financial support for Ukraine, arguing that the funds should instead be directed toward stabilizing the struggling economy of the European Union itself.
Previously, the European Commission and Ukrainian authorities had expressed hopes for active progress in accession talks as early as 2025. However, the process has been stalled due to a Hungarian veto.
Hungary organized a consultative survey on Ukraine’s EU membership, in which Orban publicly voted against it. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó also stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky must accept that Hungarians have the right to express their views on Ukraine’s accelerated EU accession.
Against this backdrop, Orban and Zelensky exchanged mutually critical statements over the past weekend.
