Hungary's pushback on Ukraine's EU path and Western military aid
A look back at Budapest's stance on Ukraine's EU accession talks and on military support, in the days before 13 December 2023.
What was Hungary's position on Ukraine as 13 December 2023 arrived? In the preceding days, Budapest had made clear it opposed two central strands of Western backing for Kyiv.
On 8 December 2023, Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán reiterated Hungary's opposition to opening European Union accession talks with Ukraine. He cited concerns about Ukraine's readiness and the potential economic impact on the EU.
Three days later, on 11 December 2023, representatives of Orbán met United States Republicans in Washington. As reported at the time, the discussion centred on ending EU and US military support to Ukraine.
Taken together, the two reports show Hungary's objections extending from the question of Ukraine's membership path to the military aid provided during the Russo-Ukrainian War.
