Ukraine in NATO would mean WWIII – Orban
Ukrainian accession to NATO would lead to an immediate all-out war with Russia and World War III, according to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. He has also cautioned against hastily admitting Ukraine into the EU.
Budapest has long opposed Brussels’ policies on the Ukraine conflict, including weapons deliveries and sanctions on Russia. It has also urged against integrating Ukraine into NATO and the EU.
In a post on X on Saturday, Orban wrote that Ukrainian membership in NATO “would mean war with Russia, and World War 3 the very next day.” He added that the “EU’s reckless rush to admit Ukraine would pull the frontlines into the heart of Europe.”
The Hungarian prime minister described the EU leadership’s approach as “insanity,” vowing not to “let them turn Europe into a battlefield.
Orban’s X post came after an interview with Hungarian media on Friday, in which he argued that the admission of Ukraine into the EU would ruin the entire bloc, including Hungary’s economy. He previously outlined his concerns over cheap Ukrainian produce undercutting Hungarian farmers.
He added that Ukraine’s borders and population will remain fluid for as long as the conflict with Russia lasts, making EU membership untenable.
On Thursday, Budapest vetoed a joint EU statement on Ukraine at the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, effectively blocking Kiev’s accession talks. Under EU rules, unanimous approval from all 27 member states is required to initiate the process.
According to a communique issued by the bloc, the issue is expected to be brought up again at the council’s next meeting in October.
Commenting on his country’s stance earlier this week, Orban cited the results of a consultative vote in Hungary that ran from mid-April to June 20, which asked: “Do you support Ukraine’s European Union membership?” According to the prime minister, 95% of more than 2 million participants rejected Ukraine’s EU aspirations.
Earlier this month, Orban insisted that even though the Ukraine conflict is “unwinnable… war-hungry politicians want us to believe that we must continue the war.”
“We do not want to die for Ukraine. We don’t want our sons to come back in a coffin. We don’t want an Afghanistan next door,” he said, calling for a diplomatic solution instead.
He went on to criticize the increasing militarization of the EU, for which the European Council formally approved a €150 billion ($171 billion) borrowing mechanism last month.
Moscow has long opposed Ukraine’s bid to join NATO, but had until recently maintained a neutral stance regarding its EU ambitions. However, in light of the EU’s “rabid” militarization, senior Russian officials have recently expressed reservations regarding EU membership as well.
NATO member rules out sending troops to Ukraine
Bucharest will not deploy troops to Ukraine under any circumstances, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan has said, although he indicated that the “eastern flank” country will continue to gradually boost its military budget to meet NATO demands and align with the broader EU militarization agenda.
A group of European NATO member states has for months been exploring the formation of a potential force for deployment to Ukraine, as part of a so-called “coalition of the willing,” ostensibly in a post-conflict peacekeeping capacity. Russia has repeatedly warned it would treat any foreign forces fighting alongside Ukrainian troops as legitimate targets, saying such actions could escalate the conflict.
Speaking during a live interview with broadcaster Antena 3 CNN on Thursday, Bolojan addressed a wave of disinformation suggesting that Romania might become militarily involved.
“We are not sending our young people or children to war,” he said, dismissing such claims as unfounded and emphasizing that the country’s position remains unchanged. “Romania, under no circumstances, is considering participating in the war – not before, not now.”
However, Bolojan argued that as an “eastern flank” country, Romania should “gradually increase defense spending” instead of prioritizing investments in “roads, hospitals, schools, and more,” in order to strengthen its military capabilities and fulfill NATO obligations.
“We can’t afford to rely on the idea that others – including the US – will ensure our protection without us contributing,” he said.
At a recent summit in The Hague, NATO member states committed to raising military spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, in response to what they described as the “long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security” – a claim Moscow has repeatedly rejected.
Is there any intel, any hint whatsoever, that Russia is planning an invasion of European countries? What a spectacular waste of money, all going to western war industry oligarchs instead of somewhere useful. It really shows you who is running the world.
Last month, the European Commission approved the potential use of approximately €335 billion in pandemic recovery funds for military-related projects. In May, it introduced a €150 billion debt facility to support so-called defense efforts. Moscow has criticized these steps as further evidence of the bloc’s continued hostility.
The Kremlin has condemned the EU’s militarization drive and arms transfers to Kiev, describing the conflict as a NATO-led proxy war. President Vladimir Putin has dismissed Western concerns about Russian aggression as “nonsense,” accusing NATO of using fear to justify ballooning military budgets and blaming the bloc’s expansion and “aggressive behavior” for fueling the crisis.
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