Hungary won’t support ‘premature proposal’ to admit Ukraine into EU, official says

A Hungarian official signaled that his country will not support a “premature proposal” that would admit Ukraine to becoming a member of the European Union (EU). 

Gergely Gulyás, the chief of staff to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, made the remarks during a news conference in Budapest on Thursday, noting that it was premature to start to begin formal talks on the matter, according to The Associated Press (AP). 

“We are dealing with a completely premature proposal,” Gulyás said at the news conference, adding that Hungary “cannot contribute to a common decision” on inviting Ukraine to join the member bloc. 

Gulyás also said that Hungary doesn’t plan on supporting proposed amendments to the EU’s budget, which would provide more than $54 billion in long-term aid to Ukraine. 

Orbán’s chief of staff added that the member bloc was “illegally” withholding funds from his country, noting that the government has consequently declined to support any budget amendment, the AP reported. 

This comes as Orbán, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s allies in the union, has been a main opponent of Ukraine joining the 27-nation bloc, saying earlier this month that he and his government would push back on December talks on whether the sovereign country should be invited to begin membership negotiations. 

Earlier this year, Orbán threatened to withdraw support for Ukraine in its war against Russia over concerns about the treatment of ethnic Hungarians.

The EU’s executive arm earlier this month recommended that Ukraine should be allowed to begin membership talks once it addresses governance issues that include corruption, lobbying concerns and restrictions that prevent minorities in the country from reading and studying their own languages, the AP reported. 

The Associated Press contributed.