Prime Minister Viktor Orban said,
I was almost swept away by the wrath of the people; the prime ministers inside received my announcement with unanimous disapproval.
He commented:
It was an ugly job. The ugliest so far.
Speaking from the EU Summit in Brussels in a video uploaded to journalist Daniel Bohar’s social media page, Orban highlighted that the heads of state and government of EU member states believe that Ukraine’s EU membership—and later NATO membership—is good and desirable.
In contrast to us, who believe that whoever accepts Ukraine into the EU is also accepting the war,
the PM said, adding that whoever admits Ukraine into NATO will immediately find themselves at war with Russia, leading directly to World War III.
We assess this situation from a completely different, pro-peace perspective, while the others view it mainly from a militant and pro-war perspective,
he pointed out.
They believe this war must and can be won, and that with their support for Ukraine, they fully intend to win it,
he explained, noting that only Slovakia and Hungary hold the position that this war has no solution on the battlefield.
That is why, when I announced that Hungary, for fundamental and strategic reasons, would not agree to starting accession negotiations with Ukraine, it had a novel and shocking impact here, even though I tried to express it politely and calmly. In one of my arguments, I asked them to think back to the accession of the former Soviet bloc countries, including Hungary,
he said.
Before those countries were admitted into the EU, they were first admitted into NATO,
he continued, explaining that this was because the EU is not a military alliance and cannot protect the eastern borders of member states. The further east one is, the closer one is to Russia, and thus border security becomes more critical. He refuted the claims of the European Commission president and some prime ministers who believe Ukraine meets the necessary criteria for EU accession - a view which Orban considers not grounded in facts.
I had to remind them that the most important criterion is that there must be a country,
Orban emphasized, explaining: “Until there is a country, there is no point in discussing any other criteria.”
There needs to be a defined identity, a country with borders, a population and territory. In Ukraine’s case, none of these are given. Today, it has no borders. Legally, one can state where its borders should be, but today those areas are occupied by Russia. It has no population, as many have fled, and its economic data are those of a country at war. You cannot build long-term membership or an economic strategy on that,
the prime minister stated.
Under such circumstances, it is simply unreasonable and contrary to common sense, to admit them,
Orban stressed, adding:
They are not used to this here. They are building the future puppet government of Hungary, with the EU Commission president and the leader of the European People’s Party (EPP), Manfred Weber, working to ensure there will be a pro-Ukraine government in Hungary that is subordinate to Brussels.
“When they occasionally encounter a national government and a Hungarian national position and prime minister who are not subservient to them and cannot be blackmailed, it hits them like a cold shower, but they will somehow get over it,”
the PM emphasized.
Cover photo: Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Brussels (Source: Facebook)
