Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán responded on X to Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s statement after the Ukrainian president declared that his country will join the European Union ‘with Orbán or without him.’
‘It turns out that President Zelenskyy wants to decide what’s best for the Hungarians,’ Orbán wrote, adding that Zelenskyy was once again using his ‘usual tactic of moral blackmail to push countries into supporting his war efforts.’ ‘No country has ever blackmailed its way into the European Union,’ Orbán stressed, ‘and it won’t happen this time either. The EU Treaty leaves no room for ambiguity: membership is decided unanimously by the member states.’
The Hungarian prime minister recalled that an overwhelming majority of Hungarians had said no to Ukraine’s EU membership in a public vote earlier in 2025. ‘If you wish to change that, the media campaign you’re waging against Hungary is probably not the best way to make friends,’ Orbán concluded.
Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó also reacted: ‘Deciding which country is ready to join the EU and can actually become a member is not up to the president of Ukraine. It is up to the EU, where such decisions require unanimity. The Hungarian people have already made their decision, and we represent their will in Brussels.’
On Monday, Zelenskyy stated in a video published on the Ukrainian portal MilitaryNewsUA that EU accession was the choice of the Ukrainian people. He declared that he was certain the majority of Hungarians supported Ukraine’s EU membership.
‘Hungary’s prime minister is the only one slowing down the process, but this process is irreversible. Today, there is a single man spreading rumours about Ukraine, who believes he has influence,’ Zelenskyy said, insisting that Ukraine’s accession to the EU was only a matter of time.
Ukraine’s EU bid is a strongly divisive issue in Hungary. Even voters of the leading opposition Tisza Party remain uncertain, with 58 per cent supporting Kyiv’s membership and 42 per cent opposing it. According to a poll by the Századvég Institute, 72 per cent of Hungarians oppose Ukraine’s EU bid, while only 22 per cent support it. Another survey, conducted by Median in early March, found that 56 per cent of respondents rejected Ukraine’s accession to the EU, while 39 per cent approved. Meanwhile, a poll carried out by the Republikon Institute in April indicated a narrow majority in favour. The public vote initiated by the government showed more than 95 per cent of respondents opposing Ukraine’s accession.
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