Hungary backing Ukraine’s bid to join EU, official says

Hungary is backing Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union amid the Russian invasion, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Tuesday at a press conference.

“Hungary backs this initiative and we urge Brussels to put the issue on the agenda,” Szijjarto said, Reuters reported.

The statement comes after the presidents of eight central and eastern European nations wrote a letter Monday expressing support for Ukraine’s membership. 

“We, the Presidents of the EU member states: the Republic of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Poland, the Slovak Republic, and the Republic of Slovenia strongly believe that Ukraine deserves receiving an immediate EU accession perspective,” the letter stated.

Szijjarto says Hungary supports its neighbor against Moscow’s aggression and wants peace as soon as possible, according to Reuters. 

“The Hungarian people did not want this war, Hungarians want peace and we are doing all we can to ensure that peace is restored as soon as possible,” he said.

Hungary is accepting thousands of Ukrainian refugees who are fleeing the country. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed Ukraine’s membership application for the EU on Monday. 

“Our goal is to be together with all Europeans and, most importantly, to be on an equal footing,” Zelensky said.