Hungarian foreign minister meets Ukraine counterpart
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, who met Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Brussels on Monday, said on Facebook that Hungary did not see its stance on Ukraine’s EU accession bid as a tactical issue.
Szijjártó said that whereas a meeting in person with Kuleba had not taken place since the outbreak of the war, they had kept in regular contact with the aim of improving Hungary-Ukraine ties.
Referring to the restriction of the rights of the Hungarian national minority in Ukraine, Szijjártó said “this cast a shadow on bilateral relations”, adding that Hungary demanded the restoration of conditions pertaining in 2015.
He noted that Ukraine’s EU ambitions were discussed.
“For us this isn’t a tactical issue but a decision of historic proportions regarding the future of the entire European Union,” he said.
The minister said the European Commission had no clue what effect Ukraine’s EU membership would have on the bloc. ‘It’s enough to think back to the intractable problems the Commission’s decision on grain transit and Ukraine scrapping the licensing requirement for lorries,” he said.
Szijjártó added, moreover, that the Commission had not prepared the ground for ensuring that Ukraine pursued mutually beneficial accession talks.
As we wrote on Sunday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met and exchanged a few words at the inauguration ceremony of Javier Milei, Argentina’s new president, in Buenos Aires – video here
Hungary not to ‘give in to pressure’
The Hungarian government will “continue to make its decisions in line with European and national values” and “will not give in to pressure from anyone, whether in the form of bribery or pledges,” Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Facebook on Monday.
Ahead of “historic meetings affecting Europe’s future” to be held in Brussels this week, Szijjártó said there were signs of “appalling political and media pressure”. “The European political and media elite obviously mixes up completely different dimensions trying to resolve historical and strategic issues through tactical deals,” he said, but added “they will not succeed, obviously, we will not give our consent.”
Debates between foreign ministers of the EU and in the general affairs council will focus on Ukraine, he said, adding that “a large part of EU politicians seek to pass decisions that are largely unprepared for and lack a strategic consensus.”
Speaking at a press conference after a meeting of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council, Szijjártó said was under “tremendous political and media pressure” to approve the start of EU accession talks with Ukraine “despite the situation not being suitable for this right now”.
According to a ministry statement, Szijjártó said the pressure on Hungary was “unacceptable”, and he vowed that the country would not give up its national interests or the right to make its own sovereign decisions.
“We don’t accept being pressured, and we’ll also resist any attempts at blackmail…” Szijjártó said. “And I’d like to make it clear that we continue to refuse to conflate historical-strategic and tactical dimensions.”
“This is not a tactical position on our part,” he said, arguing that the question of when Ukraine could begin accession talks would have “serious historic consequences, too”.
The minister said any decision in connection with Ukraine’s potential accession talks could only be made after a preparatory phase, adding however that the conditions for these preparations were not in place.
He said the European Commission’s assessment that Ukraine had met four of the seven pre-conditions for talks was incorrect.
Hungary, he said, supported looking at mutually beneficial ways to enhance cooperation with Ukraine, adding that EU membership was not the only option. Deciding on starting accession talks now would be “irresponsible”, Szijjártó said, arguing that it was impossible to know the effects of such a decision.
He cited the effects of the EU’s resolutions on opening transit corridors for Ukrainian grain and exempting Ukrainian hauliers from seeking permits before entering bloc, saying the EU “could not salvage what was salvageable”.
Meanwhile, he said the Hungarian government had still not approved allocating an additional 500 million euros from the European Peace Facility for weapons deliveries to Ukraine, arguing that Kyiv’s list of international war sponsors still contained Hungarian entities and individuals, mainly linked to OTP Bank.
Asked to comment on Ukraine’s amended law on minorities, Szijjártó said Hungary and Transcarpathian ethnic Hungarian organisations would assess the legislation, adding it was already clear that it had failed not restore the rights minorities had been gradually stripped of since 2015.
Meanwhile, Szijjártó said that on Monday afternoon, he will meet his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, and Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for Euro-Atlantic integration.
Also interesting: What will Putin say? Hungary manufactures combat vehicles for Ukraine
Democracies have free elections. Zelensky cancelled the election in Ukraine, this makes Ukraine is a dictatorship. The EU should not admit any country while the country is a dictatorship, priest are jailed, convent raided by secret service and opposition jailed. No EU member proved that jailed priests were freed, or opposition members freed from jail. Did the Zelensky government reclaimed the stolen of more than 400 million dollars, money that was meant for the armed forces? Which oligarch, friend of Zelensky, kept the money?
What nonsense is Von der Leyen is talking about. So far, Ukraine is still a corrupt dictatorship. Hungary must veto money and early entry of Ukraine.
“Zelensky cancelled the election in Ukraine”
No, the Ukrainian consitution does not allow elections during wartime.
And meanwhile apparently Carpathian Hungarians have written an open letter to Orban asking him to stop obstructing Ukraine.
mariavontheresa, hope you can buy a lot for the 15 rubles the Pootin’s regime pays for your absolutely foolish post.
As Cliff Arroyo points out, no elections can be held during the war.
Look at the world history and tell me, what other countries had elections during the war. The war on their territory. None.
Jailed opposition? You mistake Ukraine for Russia. Russia jails its oppostion. Or assassinates it.
And stop talking about corruption. If there is no corruption in Hungary, throw a stone at yourself.
Dear Yegor and cliff, US and Canada had elections during wars. Yes, it was in American news that Zelensky jailed priests, etc.. Where is the opposition party in Ukraine? What happened to all moneys donated to Ukraine?
I would like at least one person to show proof that Hungary’s government is corrupt. It is easy to throw out words but there has never been any proof. Prime Minister Orban does not own two villas in Italy like President Zelinsky.
The bottom line is Ukrainians are being killed on daily basis, infrastructure and homes are being decimated. So far neither Russia nor Ukraine is ahead of the game.
I am just an outside observer of stupidity of man. As far as I am concerned, Zelensky should concentrate on ending the war and saving the lives of Ukrainians instead of trying to join EU or NATO and forcing an expansion of the war.