“With the more than two million votes that were cast in Voks 2025, we stopped Ukraine’s EU accession,” stated Viktor Orban during in his weekly Kossuth Radio interview, this time from the Hungarian public media center in Brussels. The prime minister reported that despite enormous headwinds, he did not agree to the opening of the first negotiation chapter in Ukraine integration.
“EU leaders want Ukraine to become a member of the EU as soon as possible and are looking for ways to push the Hungarians aside,” he added. The prime minister indicated that Hungary wants to help Ukrainians, but in a way that does not ruin itself. He emphasized that the decisive argument is that Ukraine is at war, and accession would bring the war into the EU, thus onto Hungarian territory as well.
Their Goal: Admit Ukraine Now, Not in the Future
Viktor Orban explained that there is an intention to admit Ukraine into the EU now, not in some distant future, adding that we are talking about a direct threat.
According to the PM, prior to admitting a country, it is necessary to know its size, population, and legal system.
He stated that Ukraine, through no fault of its own, is an undefined entity. Orban explained there were similar problems with countries formerly in the Soviet bloc. At that time, the approach was to first admit the country into NATO, which ensured military security for the territory, and only then was EU membership granted since the EU is not a military alliance.
He also noted that this is not possible here because Ukraine is at war, and “the next day, we would be in World War III.” According to Viktor Orban,
this would bring the war into the EU.
The PM said that a country cannot be strung on indefinitely. Beyond a certain point, it is no longer possible to help. “We Hungarians speak honestly, while Brussels is deceiving Ukraine.”
The NATO Summit Was Easier
Orban indicated that the NATO summit was simpler because the Americans told everyone to forget about Ukraine’s accession, and with this move Hungary’s position became the majority within NATO.
The EU leadership is increasingly behaving like Moscow,
Viktor Orban remarked, adding that Manfred Weber and Ursula von der Leyen are sending messages to Hungary through the Tisza party and DK.
Ursula von der Leyen is showing signs of Brezhnevization,
the PM commented regarding the European Commission President’s message to the Hungarian people. He also highlighted that in the past, Hungary stood alone on the migration issue, but now everyone says what Hungary then said. He believes the same will happen regarding the war in Ukraine.
Arguing with the Bosses of the Tisza Party and DK
PM Orban explained that regardless of what Hungarians say, some in Brussels see the solution in ensuring there is a government in Hungary that always votes in line with what Manfred Weber or Ursula von der Leyen want. Therefore, he said, he must argue with the bosses of the opposition Tisza Party and the Democratic Coalition (DK) in Brussels.
He also noted that Hungary and Slovakia reject the EU's proposal to ban Russian gas imports. If such a decision were adopted,
electricity prices would double, and gas prices would increase three and a half times.
According to Orban, the EU aims to introduce this ban around 2027–2028, but he is "not happy about it." It's not that far off, and the decision would immediately begin driving prices up.
Using Physical Force Is Not the Police’s Job
Speaking about the Pride event, PM Orban said that Ursula von der Leyen treats Hungary like a colony, just like the Soviet Union did, wanting to dictate what Hungary can and cannot do.
He emphasized that there are clear laws about such events. Anyone who does not comply with the rules of procedure is participating in an event that is prohibited by law. I advise everyone to comply with the law, he added. As he said,
there will be legal consequences, but they should not reach the level of physical violence. It is not the job of the police to use physical force, but to persuade people to obey the law.
Regarding the canceled meeting of Budapest’s municipal assembly, Viktor Orban noted that all that people see is chaos, traffic jams, bankruptcy and Pride. There is a lot of work to be done, they are stuffed with cash, but the money is disappearing somewhere. He called the situation disgraceful, adding that the city deserves leadership that will not allow its deterioration.
This city could be a good place to live, but compared to it, our lives are all about daily annoyances,
he remarked.
A Hungarian in Space
Viktor Orban said that if we want to do good things without controversy and expect to receive support for them, that will not happen in Hungary. Going on to speak about the Hungarian astronaut, he said
we tip our hats and thank Tibor Kapu for bringing glory to Hungary.
he Hungarian prime minister noted that it is not only large countries that are involved in space exploration. There are Hungarian companies operating in Hungary with serious expertise that make an intellectual contribution to the space industry, an area believes holds growing potential.
Cover photo: Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban gives an interview to Kossuth Radio's Good Morning, Hungary program at the Public Media Center in Brussels (Photo: MTI/Prime Minister's Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)
