Orban: The Majority of Europeans Oppose Accelerated Ukraine EU Membership

The majority of citizens in European countries do not support an expedited accession of Ukraine to the European Union, the dispatch of weapons, or the deployment of European troops there. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban made this statement, according to RIA Novosti.

On Wednesday, the Hungarian research center Századvég published survey results indicating that most populations in 11 EU countries, including France and Germany, are against speeding up Ukraine’s accession to the community. Only in 10 of the 27 member states does the proportion of supporters of Kyiv’s EU integration exceed 50%.

"Several surveys have shown that most Europeans do not support an accelerated accession of Ukraine to the EU, nor the sending of European weapons or soldiers to Ukraine," Orban said during a forum of Carpathian Basin Hungarians at the Hungarian Parliament.

The Hungarian Prime Minister emphasized that the burden of Europe's pro-war policies "is felt not only by Hungarians but by all Europeans."

He added that those hostile toward Hungarians cannot garner Hungarian political support.

Earlier, Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó stated that the EU aims to begin full negotiations with Ukraine regarding accession by 2025. However, Viktor Orban declared that a political decision to officially start negotiations with Ukraine in 2025 has already been made, but Hungary does not support it.

Orban previously noted that Brussels wants Ukraine to join the European Union by 2030, but the final decision rests with Hungary. He warned that Ukraine’s accession could harm the Hungarian economy. Additionally, Orban accused the EU of wanting not to assist Ukraine but to colonize it and said that pushing Kyiv to continue the conflict is one of the methods of colonization. He reiterated that Hungary supports the EU but opposes Ukraine’s accelerated integration, stressing that Kyiv will never join the community without Budapest’s consent.

On April 14, Hungary launched a nationwide survey on Ukraine’s EU membership. The questionnaires are being sent by mail. The survey contains a single question: "Do you support Ukraine’s membership in the EU?" Respondents can answer "yes" or "no." After the survey concludes in June, its results will be sent to Brussels. Unlike referendums, such consultations in Hungary do not have a turnout threshold.