The government of Viktor Orban in Hungary has blasted a proposal to admit Ukraine into the European Union as "completely premature". Orban's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, on Thursday told a news conference in Budapest that it is too early to so much as begin formal talks on the matter, according to the AP.
"We are dealing with a completely premature proposal," Gulyas emphasized, explaining that Hungary "cannot contribute to a common decision" on inviting Ukraine to join the bloc.
Despite Ukraine long ranking as among the most corrupt countries in the world, and as and among the top in Europe, the EU's executive arm this month urged the opening of membership talks, so long as Kiev can show progress on fronts like rampant corruption, lobbying practices, and freedom of minority language issues.
Interestingly, PM Orban is even standing firm against approving an additional $54 billion in further long-term aid to Ukraine currently being proposed to be added to the EU's budget. He's of late grown more vocal in his vowing to block all European aid until Ukraine enacts significant changes.
Hungary has been especially concerned over oppression of ethnic Hungarians inside Ukraine - though the question of allowance of the Russian language has also remained dominant as the war presses on.
In late September, Orban gave a speech declaring Hungary will no longer support Ukraine in any way unless certain significant policies are changed both in Kiev and in the European Union.
He stressed in those prior words given before parliament that "Hungary is doing everything for peace" but that "unfortunately the Russian-Ukrainian war continues, tens of thousands of people are victims." Thus, he continued, "Diplomats must take control back from the hands of the soldiers, otherwise it will be in vain for women to wait for their sons and fathers and husbands to come home."
He has throughout the conflict stood against policies which escalate against Moscow, and has constantly warned against stumbling into a WW3 scenario involving direct NATO-Russia clash. He told Tucker Carlson in a recent interview that "the Third World War сould be knocking on our door so we have to be very careful." This continues years of Budapest having been a consistent thorn in the side of the EU.