Viktor Orbán doubles down on opposition to EU accession talks with Ukraine – Europe live

Hungary’s PM said ‘the European Union is getting ready to make a terrible mistake’

One day before a key European leaders’ summit begins in Brussels, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán reiterated his position that Hungary will block opening accession negotiations with Ukraine.

“The European Union is getting ready to make a terrible mistake, and they have to be prevented in this – even if 26 want to do this, and only we are opposed,” he said.

The Hungarian position is that if we want to give Ukraine support, a geopolitical signal, then let’s give – but that’s not membership. Let’s leave membership as what it is.

That’s why I say, take down membership from the agenda, Hungary will insist on that, so that question is not worth seriously debating, that route is closed, because Hungary doesn’t agree to that. But let’s speak sensibly about how within the framework of a strategic partnership let’s give the Ukrainians things in which we geostrategically strengthen them.

I am willing on financial questions, to make financial deals. But I am not willing on financial questions, to make strategic or policy deals.