Orbán: “yes” to Ukraine’s EU bid, “no” to further sanctions

Viktor Orbán has reaffirmed Hungary’s support for Ukraine’s bid to attain candidate status for European Union membership. Attending an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday, prime minister said in a video message on Facebook that he said “yes” to Ukraine’s EU bid and to peace but “no” to further sanctions.

Orbán blamed the EU for proposing further successive sanctions and bringing about economic woes on top of the war. “What we now need is peace, not further sanctions, because peace is the only antidote to war inflation,” he said.

Discussions ahead, he said, would include Europe’s economic situation, “which is hardly rosy”. Orbán noted he held talks with the leaders of Western Balkan countries in the morning.

Read also: Orbán-Zelensky talks: Hungary backs Ukraine’s EU aspirations

Hungarian foreign minister in talks with US secretary of state

Péter Szijjártó on Thursday held talks with Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state. The Hungarian foreign minister said on Facebook said that amid persistently high global inflation and rising interest rates and energy prices, introducing a global minimum tax would add to the world’s problems.

Referring to US investments in Hungary, Szijjártó said 1,700 American companies operated in

“the most favorable investment environment in Europe”,

employing around 100,000 Hungarians.

Noting the upcoming NATO summit in Madrid next week, Szijjártó said he would meet Blinken at the summit to hold further discussions in person.

Police: Over 13,000 refugees arrive from Ukraine on Thursday

Fully 7,085 people crossed into Hungary directly from Ukraine on Thursday, while another 6,292 from Ukraine crossed from Romania, the national police headquarters (ORFK) said. Police issued temporary residence permits valid for thirty days to 250 people, ORFK told MTI on Thursday.

Holders of such permits must contact a local immigration office near their place of residence within thirty days to apply for permanent documents, it added. Budapest police received 27 refugees, 10 children among them, arriving by train, ORFK said.