"One thing is certain: it will never be in Europe’s interest to take part in a war against Russia on Ukraine’s side," said Viktor Orban in a video uploaded to social media. He pointed out that getting involved in a war against Russia by siding with Ukraine means becoming both an instrument and a victim of destruction and devastation.
He believes that when a war like this breaks out, launched by the Russians, there is only one rational European stance that is morally, politically, and economically acceptable: isolate the conflict as much as possible and prevent it from spreading further.
"That means we don’t jump in on Ukraine’s side — as every other EU country has done except us and the Vatican — aligning themselves with Ukraine and seeing themselves as a party in the war, instead of recognizing it as a fratricidal war between two Slavic nations," he emphasized, reiterating that everything must be done to isolate the conflict.
Stakes Are High
As reported by Magyar Nemzet, a consultative vote is already underway on Ukraine’s potential EU membership. The Hungarian Postal Service will deliver the ballot papers to all concerned by the end of May.
The goal of the consultative vote is to let voters decide whether they want Ukraine to join the European Union. The government is seeking the opinion of Hungarian citizens on this important issue so that based on the results, it can take a stance before EU institutions.
Notably, on March 15, Viktor Orban announced his 12 points, which included a firm position on Ukraine’s accession: “Union, but without Ukraine.” Prior to that, on March 6, an extraordinary summit was held in Brussels focused on Ukraine’s EU accession and Europe’s defense strategy. After the meeting, Orban expressed concerns over Ukraine joining the EU, stating that:
such accession would pose serious economic and security risks for Hungary, both politically and economically.
That is why the government decided to launch a consultative vote on Ukraine’s EU membership. Each voter will receive a ballot with a single question:
"Do you support Ukraine becoming a member of the European Union? Yes or no?"
Voting works the same way as in parliamentary elections — marking an X in the circle above either the 'yes' or 'no' answer. The ballot is printed on secure paper that cannot be photocopied or duplicated. It must be returned to the government in a prepaid envelope. Votes will be counted in the presence of a public notary.
