Orban announced Ukraine’s unpreparedness for negotiations on EU membership

Ukraine is not ready for negotiations on its membership in the European Union. This was stated by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Radio Kossuth.

“Ukraine in all respects is not ready to talk about its ambition to join the EU. <...> It is impossible to start negotiations, this is a clear Hungarian position,” he said (quote according to RIA Novosti).

Orban also noted that Hungary’s disagreement with the start of negotiations on Ukraine’s membership in the EU cannot be a subject of bargaining. The Prime Minister recalled that the EU owes Hungary about 3-5 billion euros, which it does not pay back “for various reasons.” He stressed that Budapest will not accept the idea of ​​linking tranches to Ukraine from the European budget with the “return of money to Hungary.”

November 8 European Commission recommended begin negotiations on accession to the European Union with Ukraine and Moldova. The countries received EU candidate status in the summer of 2022. Ukraine submitted documents to join the EU at the end of February 2022 after the start of Russia’s special operation.

Earlier, European Commissioner for Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi noted that Kyiv had fulfilled two of the seven conditions for EU membership: reformed the High Council of Justice and the High Qualifications Commission of Judges and adopted a law on the media. In addition, the authorities have enshrined the desire for Ukraine to join the union in the country’s constitution.

The head of the European Council, Charles Michel, previously admittedthat Ukraine could join the EU by 2030 if, in his words, “both sides do their homework.” Later EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell clarified, that the deadline indicated by Michel is not accurate. According to him, “this is a political horizon” that is needed to mobilize “political energy.”