Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Ukraine in Nato: Orban casts doubt on long-term membership plan

Ukraine in Nato: Orban casts doubt on long-term membership plan

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has cast doubt on Ukraine's long-held aspiration to join Nato.

His intervention came after the bloc's boss, Jens Stoltenberg, said on Friday that "all Nato allies have agreed that Ukraine will become a Nato member".

Mr Stoltenberg has consistently said Kyiv will join Nato in the medium term, once the Russian invasion is over.

But Mr Orban was quick to express his surprise at the latest claim in a one-word tweet on Friday afternoon.

"What?!" the Hungarian prime minister exclaimed, reacting to an article on Mr Stoltenberg's comments.

Nato is a military alliance of 31 countries, mainly in Europe, but also including the US and Canada. Hungary, like all members, can veto new members joining.

Nato members - including Hungary - agreed in 2008 that Ukraine would eventually join the alliance, while denying it immediate membership.

Joining the bloc brings the protection of Nato's Article Five, which says an attack on one member is an attack on all.

In effect, it means that if Ukraine were invaded or attacked all Nato members - including the US - would come to its aid.

But Hungary, which joined Nato in 1999, has already shown a willingness to oppose the expansion of the alliance. After months of delays, it signed off on Finland's bid to join in March.

And it has joined with Turkey in holding up Sweden's bid. In March government spokesperson Zoltán Kovács accused officials in Sweden of sitting on a "crumbling throne of moral superiority".

Relations have long been tense between Kyiv and Budapest.

Mr Orban is less critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin than other Western leaders. And while his government has condemned the illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Hungarian leader has not sent arms to Kyiv.

Hungary has also spent years blocking high-level summits between Nato officials and Ukrainian military leaders, claiming to have concerns over the rights of Hungarian speakers in western Ukraine.

Despite his assertion, Mr Stoltenberg conceded at a meeting at the Ramstein US air base in Germany that Kyiv's bid to join the alliance was not an immediate priority.

"The main focus now is of course on how to ensure that Ukraine prevails [in the war with Russia]," he said. "Without a sovereign, independent Ukraine, there is no meaning in discussing membership."

But Budapest's stance promises to ignite a fresh dispute within Nato.

The bloc's eastern members have spent months pushing officials to give Kyiv an accession timeline and to provide signals that it is making progress to joining the alliance.

Mr Stoltenberg also said he was confident Ukraine could regain ground in a much-anticipated counter-offensive.

"I'm confident that they will now be in a position to be able to liberate even more land," he said.

There has been talk for some weeks of Ukraine launching a spring offensive against Russian forces, whose own offensive in the eastern Donbas region has largely stalled.

Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said on Wednesday that some aspects of the planned counteroffensive were already underway.


AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
×