BUDAPEST (Sputnik) - Hungary will never agree to link the issue of paying Ukraine from the European Union budget and its admission into the bloc with the return of frozen money from EU funds to Budapest, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday.
Orban recalled that the EU owes Hungary “a lot of money”— up to five billion euros.
“I would like to very clearly emphasize that Hungary’s disagreement with the start of negotiations on Ukraine’s membership in the EU is not a subject of bargaining. This should not be linked with any money issues. We must receive money that they owe to us," Orban said on air of Hungary’s radio station.
The prime minister added that all issues related to Ukraine, including its funding from the EU budget and start of talks on the membership in the bloc, “should not be linked with returning money to Hungary.”
Ukraine is not ready to start talks on its membership in the European Union in any way, Orban stressed.
“Ukraine in no way ready to talk about its ambition to join the EU … It is impossible to start negotiations, this is a clear Hungarian position,” Orban said.