Hungary’s Orban Survey to Delay Ukraine EU Bid as Budapest Breaks With Bloc

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is set to launch a national survey on Ukraine’s potential membership in the European Union, Bloomberg reports.

Announcing the plan on state radio Friday, Orban said the “national consultation” would gather public opinion on the matter. t

The announcement comes on the heels of an emergency EU meeting where 26 member states, bypassing Hungary’s opposition, endorsed a declaration of support for Ukraine. Orban refused to sign the summit’s conclusions, opposing the idea of prolonging the conflict as the US under President Donald Trump has taken decisive measures to curb it.

Orban maintains that Ukraine’s EU membership would impose an unsustainable financial burden on the Union and that the survey will help put the brakes on the application process. He also reaffirmed his support for former US President Donald Trump’s efforts to broker a peace deal in Ukraine, suggesting an alternative path to resolving the conflict.

“The main difference in opinion is no longer between Hungary and the other 26 states,” Orban declared. “The main faultline is between the pro-peace camp led by the US and the 26 EU members.”