Overview

• In a Kossuth Radio interview on Oct. 3, Viktor Orbán argued EU states would "share Ukraine's fate" if Kyiv joined and said "Europeans should not die for Ukraine."
• He urged the European Union to pursue a strategic cooperation deal with Ukraine, citing arrangements with the United Kingdom and Turkey as models rather than offering full accession.
• Orbán claims Brussels is following an open-ended war strategy that drains Europe and costs "hundreds of thousands" of lives, which he presents as justification for Budapest’s position.
• Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has argued Ukraine cannot meet accession criteria, and Orbán underscores that unanimous approval is required and Hungary will withhold consent.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Orbán for blocking accession for electoral reasons, while Russia’s Vladimir Putin expressed hope Hungarians will support the Hungarian prime minister.