Viktor Orbán: ‘Hungary will not kneel before the Ukrainian president’

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán warned in a radio interview on Friday that accepting Ukraine as a member of the European Union would mean bringing the war with Russia into the EU. Speaking to Kossuth Radio, Orbán claimed that such a move could eventually draw other EU nations, including Hungary, directly into armed conflict.

‘If we take in Ukraine, we take in the war,’ Orbán said, reiterating that Hungary rejects the idea of Hungarian soldiers returning home in coffins from the Ukrainian front. He criticized Western European leaders for what he called their blind commitment to Ukraine, accusing them of turning the war into a pan-European cause.

Orbán argued that Ukraine is only surviving thanks to Western support, with Europe funding Ukrainian pensions, public services, and the military. Without this, he said, Kyiv wouldn’t last a day. He added that Europe itself is also out of money, and with the US stepping back from financing the war, the burden now falls on the EU—forcing member states to take on massive new debts.

‘Ukraine is only surviving thanks to Western support, with Europe funding Ukrainian pensions, public services, and the military’

Orbán also addressed recent comments by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, published in a Hungarian media outlet, which the Prime Minister interpreted as a direct threat to Hungary.

‘In Western Europe, that may work,’ Orbán said of Zelenskyy’s tone, ‘but Hungary will not kneel before the Ukrainian president.’ He emphasized that Hungary has shown generosity—sheltering Ukrainian refugees, feeding and educating their children—but added that demanding loyalty or respect from Hungary crosses a line. He insisted Ukraine has no right to demand Hungary’s support for its EU membership, and took a swipe at Hungarian opposition parties like Tisza and DK, whom he labelled as ‘pro-Ukraine’, saying this does not legitimize Zelenskyy’s criticisms of Hungary.

Orbán referenced the ongoing Voks 2025 national consultation, revealing that over two million Hungarians have already voted on issues including Ukraine’s EU accession. He contrasted this with a Tisza Party vote supporting Ukraine’s bid, which he dismissed as insignificant.

The Prime Minister also warned that an upcoming EU foreign ministers’ meeting could lead to new bans on oil, gas, and nuclear fuel imports from Russia, a move that would dramatically increase Hungary’s energy prices. ‘If they push this through, Hungarian families could pay two or three times more,’ he warned, vowing to block the proposal to protect Hungary’s utility cost reduction programme.

Orbán accused Brussels bureaucrats of trying to strip powers from national governments, citing EU recommendations to end interest caps, reduce subsidies, and eliminate programmes like family tax benefits and the 13th-month pension. He said these measures threaten Hungary’s work-based economy and vowed to resist, warning that Brussels is trying to take more money out of Hungary.

‘These measures threaten Hungary’s work-based economy’

The Prime Minister positioned his newly launched Patriots for Europe alliance as a political counterforce, aimed at restoring national sovereignty and reversing ‘unconstitutional’ centralization within the EU.

He predicted that within two or three years, patriotic governments could take power in every major European country, transforming the current political direction of the EU.

In a final point, Orbán touched on a new Hungarian law concerning local identity, allowing rural communities to resist unwanted urbanization. While some villages are becoming cities against residents’ wishes, Orbán said the government has now given municipalities the legal tools to preserve their traditional character.

Related articles:

The post Viktor Orbán: ‘Hungary will not kneel before the Ukrainian president’ appeared first on Hungarian Conservative.