PM Orban Warns of Deeper Ukrainian Involvement in Hungarian Domestic Politics

In a circular letter sent to members of the Digital Civic Circles (DPK), Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban sharply criticized the European Union’s financial and military plans for Ukraine, rejected the idea of Ukraine’s EU accession, and announced the launch of a national petition. According to the prime minister, Ukraine will be one of the central issues of the 2026 election campaign, and Hungary needs a national government capable of resisting pressure from Brussels.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban made it clear in his letter that the defining political questions of the coming period will be Ukraine, Brussels, and the defense of Hungary’s sovereignty. He warned that the European Union is preparing to undertake unprecedented financial and military commitments on behalf of Ukraine—costs that would ultimately be paid by European citizens, including Hungarians.

Photo: Prime Minister's Office Communications Department/Zoltan Fischer/MTI

PM Orban recalled that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has recently criticized several European leaders for what he considers insufficient support for Ukraine. According to the Hungarian prime minister, this pressure campaign has proven successful: Brussels has accepted Ukraine’s demand for roughly $800 billion in financial assistance, accompanied by an additional $700 billion in military spending over the next decade. Describing Brussels’ response, Orban wrote that it went through “like a hot knife through butter.”

This means massive debt for Europe,

the prime minister warned, stressing that the money in question does not actually exist, yet EU leaders are preparing to raise it regardless. PM Orban called particularly dangerous those plans under which Ukraine could join the European Union as early as 2027. He emphasized that Hungary firmly opposes this and expressed his conviction that there will not be a Hungarian Parliament—even over the next hundred years—that would support Ukraine’s accession.

By contrast, Orban said, the Tisza Party and the Democratic Coalition (DK) would back Ukraine’s EU membership. As a result, Ukraine will play an even more active role in Hungary’s domestic politics and in the upcoming election campaign.

It is in Ukraine's fundamental interest to see a change of government in Hungary,

he wrote. The prime minister reaffirmed that the government’s goal is to maintain a pro-nation cabinet that will not consent either to Ukraine’s accession to the EU or to an EU budget that channels Hungarian funds to Ukraine. To that end, he announced the launch of a national petition, allowing Hungarians to express their views on Brussels’ plans.

In his letter, PM Orban also addressed peace efforts, noting that a new peace council has been formed under the leadership of Donald Trump after, in his view, previous international organizations failed. He pointed out that only two European countries have taken an active role in the initiative, while the American side is working with serious momentum to bring the conflict to an end.

PM Orban also criticized the European Parliament for rejecting a motion of no confidence against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. He singled out the Tisza Party for criticism, noting that it abstained from the vote.

Cover photo: Prime Minister Viktor Orban (Photo: Akos Kaiser)