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Top Hungarian Diplomat Accuses German FM of Misunderstanding Budapest’s Ukraine Stance

© AP Photo / Carolyn KasterМинистр внешних экономических связей иностранных дел Венгрии Петер Сийярто
Министр внешних экономических связей иностранных дел Венгрии Петер Сийярто - Sputnik International, 1920, 06.12.2023
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has accused his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, of misunderstanding Hungary's position on Ukraine's prospects for joining the European Union after she described the stance as "playing games".
On Tuesday, during her visit to Slovenia, Baerbock commented on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's proposal to refrain from discussing Ukraine's accession to the EU at the upcoming EU summit, saying that it was not time to "play games."
"I am reading the statement by my German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, in Ljubljana. With all due respect to the minister, I think that she fundamentally misunderstands the situation. Hungary's position on Ukraine's accession to the EU is thought out and well-founded, there is no blackmailing or even a "game" in it. We categorically refuse to mix up things that do not have anything in common," Szijjarto wrote on social media.
The minister added that "neither Hungarian people nor the Hungarian government nor the parliament" see in what way accelerated accession talks with Ukraine would be good for Europe.
"Ukraine is just far away for being fit to join [the EU] or even for talks on that, that's why it would be better to develop strategic partnership first," Szijjarto also said.
Ukraine applied for EU membership in February 2022 and was granted candidate status four months later, all against the backdrop of the Russian special military operation. On November 8 of this year, the European Commission recommended launching accession talks with Ukraine. The formal decision is expected to be made at the EU's December 14-15 summit in Brussels, and it will require the unanimous support of all member states.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto speaks to journalists as he arrives at the EU Informal Meeting of EU Foreign Ministers (Gymnich) in Prague, Czech Republic on August 30, 2022 - Sputnik International, 1920, 13.11.2023
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Hungary Refuses to Approve Allocation of 500Mln Euros for Arms for Ukraine
Following a meeting with European Council President Charles Michel in Budapest last week, Orban said he suggested that Brussels not include the Ukraine accession talks on the December summit's agenda, but rather postpone it for five to 10 years until a clearer outlook for strategic cooperation with the country takes shape.
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