Lithuanian politician: Ukraine has a weaker chance because of Hungary
An MEP of Lithuania, Andrius Kubilius, said that Hungary would baulk Ukraine’s NATO and EU accession. He added that Kyiv might join the EU by 2029. And that is a favourable scenario. Meanwhile, Western allies are frustrated because of PM Orbán’s moves regarding Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO accession.
Hungary would baulk Ukraine’s EU and NATO accession
According to index.hu, Mr Kubilius cleared that without a Russian defeat, the accession is unimaginable. He is one of the biggest supporters of Ukraine in the European Parliament. He has been supporting the country’s NATO and EU membership for years. Ha highlighted that Kyiv could become an EU member by 2029, but the Ukrainians might join NATO in 2024. However, that will not be easy because Hungary can veto the decision.
The Lithuanian MEP said that the Ukrainians should defeat Russia first. Then Putin and Lavrov should be tried in an international court. Afterwards comes Ukraine’s NATO accession, which would make clear to the Russians that they would never reestablish their empire in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Washington Post wrote about the ratification question of Sweden’s and Finland’s NATO accession. They said Western allies are frustrated since Hungary delayed the decision several times, and the Budapest parliament will only vote about it on 20 March. Türkiye is the other NATO member that has not yet approved the two Nordic countries’ bid.
Speaker: EU, NATO not taking steps towards peace
Neither the European Union nor NATO are taking steps towards peace in Ukraine, but rather increasing escalation, Speaker of Parliament László Kövér told commercial HirTV late on Friday. Concerning the criticisms levelled at Hungary’s parliament over not having debated Sweden and Finland’s NATO accession bids until now, Kövér said Hungary was a sovereign country whose parliament sets its agenda at its own discretion. Sweden and Finland will not be able to join the alliance until Turkiye gives its approval, the speaker said, adding that this was unlikely to happen until it holds elections later this year. Kövér said it could take until the summer NATO summit for both countries to be ratified by all member states.
He said the reason why Hungary was sending parliamentary delegations to Sweden and Finland was because the ruling Fidesz and Christian Democrat parliamentary groups had expressed concern and did not consider the decision on the ratification to be an automatic one. At the same time, he added, it should be clarified that Hungary is a sovereign member of both NATO and the EU and had joined both organisations voluntarily. Hungary does not believe that its position within these alliances has changed over the last decades, he said.
Finland: increased risk of a future military conflict
The politicians who are now asking for Hungary’s support have behaved in a way “that would have been considered harsh even coming from our enemies”, Kövér said. It should be made clear that they have no right to interfere in Hungarian politics, Kövér said, adding that an alliance involves trust, “which was thoroughly undermined before the accession”. He said support for Sweden and Finland’s NATO accession was not a question of “good manners or sensitivity”, insisting that the two countries had insulted Hungary for years and had caused damage to its national interests. They are now pressuring EU institutions not to give Hungary the funding it is entitled to, he added.
Kövér said the Hungarian delegation will meet with the Swedish and Finnish parliamentary speakers, relevant committees and foreign ministers on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. The delegation will be headed by Fidesz lawmaker Csaba Hende and will include Zsolt Nemeth, the head of parliament’s foreign affairs committee, and MEPs Enikő Győri and Ernő Schaller-Baross, he added. Kövér said the Swedish and Finnish armies were well-prepared and well-equipped and would strengthen NATO. He added, at the same time, that the 1,340km border NATO and Russia will share because of Finland increased the risk of a future military conflict between them.
He said the 60 billion US dollars’ worth of weapons EU and NATO member states had sent to Ukraine made them party to the conflict. Peace, he said, was ultimately dependent on Russia and Ukraine. Neither the EU nor NATO are taking steps towards peace, but rather increasing escalation, the speaker said. Kövér urged a compromise that takes into consideration both Ukraine’s territorial integrity and Russia’s security expectations. Meanwhile, he said the planned amendment to Hungary’s child protection law should also involve reviewing the regulation of media players that are not headquartered in Hungary but broadcast in the country.
Source: MTI, index.hu, Washington Post