Hungary's Orbán blocks Ukraine's EU membership talks, calls for strategic agreement

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán reiterated his opposition to Ukraine"s accession to the European Union during his arrival at the Copenhagen summit on October 2, 2025. Orbán stated that Hungary does not support the idea of Ukraine joining the EU, emphasizing that the Hungarian people do not wish to share integration formats, whether military like NATO or political and economic like the EU, with Ukraine.

Orbán proposed a strategic agreement with Ukraine instead of membership, stating, "Membership is too much." He acknowledged Ukraine"s resilience, saying, "Ukraine is a heroic country. We have to support them. No question of that. The question is the form how we do that."

He firmly stated that there should be "no membership at all," citing concerns that Ukraine"s accession could lead to war entering the EU and that EU funds would be redirected to Ukraine, both of which he deemed unfavorable outcomes. Orbán also dismissed the possibility of changing EU rules to bypass Hungary"s veto, insisting on adherence to the established unanimous decision-making process.

Additionally, Orbán defended his previous comments suggesting that Ukraine is no longer a sovereign nation, arguing that its reliance on external funding for military and governmental support undermines its sovereignty. He concluded by advising Denmark to take a firm stance against recent drone incursions, suggesting they should "shoot them down."

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For related coverage, see recent developments regarding geopolitical tensions in Europe.