Orban Dubs Launch of EU-Ukraine Accession Talks Nothing But 'Political Gesture'

The launch of accession talks between the European Union and Ukraine is no more than a political gesture, according to Viktor Orban.

The Hungarian prime minister doubled down on his previous warning that the EU should not begin such negotiations with a country in the grips of a conflagration. Orban, who was giving a big international press conference and summed up the results of the outgoing year, emphasized that it is not in Hungary's interest to be in an alliance with a country that is in a military conflict. He said that he opposed the start of accession talks with Kiev at the EU summit on December 14-15, but could not persuade the remaining 26 EU leaders to change their minds.

Viktor Orban also addressed a rhetorical question to the 27-member European bloc, asking whether Brussels intended to accept Ukraine along with the new Russian regions. At this point the Hungarian PM was referring to the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Lugansk People’s Republic, the Kherson region, and the Zaporozhye region. Referendums on the reunification of the DPR, LPR, Kherson, and Zaporozhye regions with the Russian Federation were held on September 23-27, 2022.

Regarding the Ukraine conflict, Orban underscored the need for a peace agreement to be. He warned that, “If Europe does not start negotiations, then the great powers outside Europe, and the Russians... will agree with the Americans over Europe's head.” However, Ukraine cannot be admitted to the EU without the decision of the Hungarian parliament. Viktor Orban pointed out that Russia was conducting a special military operation in Ukraine, since Moscow never declared war on the regime in Kiev, and did not announce a general mobilization. As for Budapest, it “has no vision for another country, it focuses only on itself, its own needs," the prime minister underscored. He added that it was not in Hungary’s interests to have a “border with Russia.” Regarding financial aid to Ukraine, it cannot be "at the expense of Hungarians," Viktor Orban emphasized.

“If budgetary coverage is needed, then the parliament must discuss this, the government is ready for such a conversation, but not with a loan, and certainly not within the current budget framework of the European Union,” he said. Orban warned against “blowing up” the budget, saying that “we shouldn't be in debt with anyone.” The Hungarian government “wants to avoid that the forints intended for Hungary are eaten up by the support provided to Ukraine.”

"Blackmail is taking place in Brussels," despite the fact that Hungary complies with the requests of the European Commission in all matters, deplored Orban, adding that "there is not much we can do about this." According to his assessment, he cannot be blamed for "using all means in order to assert Hungary's interests." At the same time, EU member countries cannot decide to allocate financial support to Kiev from the bloc’s budget without the consent of Hungary, the PM noted. They can only agree on extra-budgetary payments, as would be the case if the other 26 countries took out a common loan for this purpose.

Elsewhere in his press conference, Viktor Orban said that the EC has no reason to attempt to strip Hungary of its voting rights under Article 7 of the EU treaty (for violations of the rule of law), since it has just admitted that the country’s judicial system was in order. It should be noted that after the Hungarian prime minister vetoed the EU's €50-billion package to Ukraine, there were reports that EU officials were contemplating the application of Article 7 of the 2007 European Union Treaty. The latter article empowers the bloc to suspend a member country's voting privileges in response to violations of European legislation.

On December 14, the European Council decided to open EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova and grant EU candidate status to Georgia. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who did not vote on this decision at the summit, said the European Commission had itself, in recommendations dated November 8, admitted that Ukraine had not yet met three conditions for launching membership talks.

Hungary will be able to veto accession talks between the EU and Ukraine when they are real and not hypothetical, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto later stated.

The veto, he pointed out, would be expedient “if, during preparation for real, and not hypothetical, as now, talks, Brussels wants to impose something unfavorable for us.”