Orbán on Ukraine: ‘It’s like migration—once you let them in, you can’t get them out’

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán warned that admitting Ukraine to the European Union would create a permanent and uncontrollable burden for member states, drawing a sharp comparison to migration. In his regular interview on public Kossuth Radio, Orbán said: ‘It’s like migration—once you let them in, you can’t get them out.’

Orbán criticized the European Commission’s draft budget for lacking a clear strategic vision. In his view, nearly one-third of the proposed budget would be swallowed by debt repayments and aid to Ukraine—expenditures not originally foreseen in prior EU planning. ‘That’s why everyone’s up in arms,’ he remarked, explaining that around 20 per cent of EU funds, including Hungarian contributions, would be redirected to Ukraine.

The Prime Minister stressed that the real problem is the absence of a coherent goal behind the budget. ‘If you don’t know what it’s for, it can’t be good,’ he said. In his interpretation, the budget serves only one obvious purpose: to prepare Ukraine for EU membership by channelling vast sums of money there.

He argued instead for a structured partnership with Ukraine rather than full integration. Orbán questioned whether Brussels is truly ready to absorb the economic strain of admitting such a large and struggling country. Once inside, he warned, Ukraine’s problems would become the EU’s problems—and for decades.

‘Once inside…Ukraine’s problems would become the EU’s problems—and for decades’

He also expressed concern over agriculture funding, noting that money is being pulled away from farmers to support Ukraine. ‘What happens to our farmers if they lose EU support?’ he asked, predicting that the proposed budget will not survive into next year, as too many member states will reject it.

In his criticism of the Commission, Orbán accused Brussels of ‘pushing money around in a chaotic manner’ without any vision for the future of European agriculture. He maintained this is all being done to prioritize Ukraine’s needs. ‘Once you let it in, you can’t get it out,’ he repeated, reiterating that Ukraine’s membership would be permanent and problematic.

Orbán also brought up the case of József Sebestyén, a dual Hungarian–EU citizen who died under controversial circumstances involving Ukrainian conscription forces. Hungary recently proposed sanctioning three Ukrainian military officials responsible for the so-called ‘manhunts’. Orbán emphasized this is not a bilateral dispute but a European human rights issue. He lamented the silence from Brussels, saying it’s ‘embarrassing’ and accused the EU of wanting to sweep the issue under the rug. Speaking about Ukraine’s domestic practices, he stated that forced conscription is widespread and abusive. Referring again to Sebestyén’s death, he said: ‘This is a matter of honour for us.’ Orbán urged EU institutions to act based on reports from human rights officials confirming that such incidents are systemic. He also criticized domestic opposition parties like the Tisza Party and Democratic Coalition for always siding with foreign interests. According to Orbán, they live off the idea that ‘Hungarians can never be right.’

Turning to economic policy, he defended the government’s newly launched Home Start housing loan programme, which he described as a secure alternative to rental housing. He contrasted it with the earlier foreign currency loans that plunged families into debt during the 2000s. This time, he said, the state is offering real financial support, potentially saving households tens of thousands of forints through favourable interest rates. If successful, he claimed the programme could boost Hungary’s GDP by 1 per cent for every 10,000 homes built.

Finally, Orbán commented on Hungary’s recent milestone in space exploration. He acknowledged the scientific achievements of astronaut Kapu Tibor and emphasized that Hungary now joins only a dozen nations to have sent a person to space. He also praised reserve astronaut Gyula Cserényi for his contributions, underlining the symbolic and scientific significance of the mission.

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