Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that there have never been serious discussions in the European Union about the possible consequences of Ukraine’s membership in the economic union. The Hungarian politician told journalists about this before the second day of the European Political Community (EPU) summit in the Spanish city of Granada.
Viktor Orbán said in a conversation with journalists that there had never been any discussions about the consequences of Ukraine’s European integration. According to the Hungarian prime minister, one should not talk about Kiev’s accession to the economic association until a relevant strategic document is adopted, which will demonstrate the likely outcome of the country’s accession to the EU.
“First of all we have to ponder whether it (Ukraine’s accession to the EU – ed.) is in our interests or not. And what answers we have to the strategic implications of such enlargement. We have never done it. So we don’t see any strategic calculations or a general assessment of the consequences. The first step is a strategic approach, the second is a discussion, the third is a decision,” the Hungarian Prime Minister believes.
The Hungarian politician emphasised that in the EU, Ukraine’s joining the economic union raises “many questions and doubts”. The Hungarian Prime Minister added that the European Union has never yet accepted a state that is involved in a conflict.
“First of all we have to know what we are talking about. How much money we are talking about. Nobody has counted it. If you want to talk seriously about Ukraine’s membership, first of all we need a strategic document. But we have neither a document nor a discussion about it. We need to understand why it would be good for the EU to integrate Ukraine. And what are the consequences for agriculture, security, cohesion funds. With Ukraine’s membership in the EU, a completely new agriculture will emerge. Are you ready for it? A lot of strategic questions,” Orban summarises.