Brussels and Kiev have declared war on Hungary – Orban

Brussels and Kiev have declared war on Budapest, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said. His comments come amid reports that the EU is seeking to offer Ukraine a form of 'membership lite,’ despite the opposition of certain member states.

According to Politico, EU officials want to relax admission criteria and offer Kiev limited privileges in a membership offer scheduled for 2027. Orban has been identified as the main obstacle to the controversial move, with sources suggesting he must be removed in Hungary's forthcoming election, whether through foreign pressure or EU procedures suspending Budapest’s voting rights.

“This new plan is an open declaration of war against Hungary. They disregard the decision of the Hungarian people and are determined to remove the Hungarian government by any means necessary,” Orban wrote on X on Wednesday.

He urged supporters to mobilize for his Fidesz party ahead of April’s parliamentary election, which Politico called a potential opportunity for Brussels to neutralize its long-time critic.

Kiev seeks to pursue EU accession as early as next year as part of a US-mediated peace deal with Russia. While Vladimir Zelensky has publicly rejected second-tier membership, Politico reports that Ukrainian officials have privately expressed interest.

Orban’s government says Brussels’ support for Kiev draws the EU closer to direct war with Russia and ignores Ukraine’s failure to meet requirements for candidates.

Zelensky has repeatedly attacked Orban for refusing to back Kiev, suggesting he is ‘pro-Russian.’ Last month, at the World Economic Forum, he suggested the Hungarian leader should be “smacked” for allegedly selling out EU interests. Orban has called such remarks election interference.