Hungary’s Orban Opposes Ukraine’s NATO Membership at NATO Summit

During the NATO summit in Washington, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban expressed opposition to Ukraine’s accession to the Alliance, as reported by Bloomberg. Orban’s stance came despite the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the summit.

Orban, who recently undertook a self-declared “peace mission” visiting Kyiv, Moscow, and Beijing without prior coordination with EU or NATO members, participated in the summit under prearranged agreements, where he declined to commit to military support for Ukraine. He explicitly stated during discussions, attended by Zelenskyy, that Ukraine should not join NATO.

According to Bloomberg, Orban voiced his opinion during a closed-door session, where some leaders disagreed, with one citing Hungary’s history to argue for Ukraine’s NATO membership.

Following the summit, Orban traveled to Florida to meet with Donald Trump, who has suggested Ukraine’s NATO aspirations contributed to Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Earlier, the EU’s legal service found Orban’s talks with Putin to be in conflict with EU agreements. Additionally, six EU countries opted not to send ministers to events under Hungary’s presidency, sending lower-ranking officials instead.