Hungary’s lack of support for Kiev’s bid for NATO membership is disrespectful, the Ukrainian leader has said
FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky greets Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban during an EU event in Brussels, Belgium. © Jean Catuffe / Getty Images
A proposed bilateral security deal between Hungary and Ukraine was left unsigned on Thursday because Budapest refused to express support for Ukraine’s NATO membership, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has said while in Budapest.
Ukraine has reached similar deals with other Western nations that have been touted as stop-gap measures while Kiev pursues NATO membership. Zelensky has claimed that joining the US-led military bloc, which Russia perceives as a threat, is the only viable way to ensure Ukrainian national security, other than acquiring nuclear weapons.
Last week, Zelensky said Ukraine and Hungary were working on a security deal. But it was not signed on Thursday, when he traveled to Budapest to take part in an event hosted by Hungary under its rotating EU presidency. The NATO issue derailed the proposed agreement, he said, when asked what happened during a press conference.
“There is no support by Hungary for Ukraine’s membership in NATO in the document as of now. And since there is none, the document remains unsigned. Period,” Zelensky said.
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An immediate invitation to NATO was part of the ‘victory plan’ in the conflict with Russia that Zelensky presented to the public last month. Senior Hungarian officials have argued that such a move would likely directly lead to World War III.
Hungary does not treat Ukraine as an equal, which is disrespectful, Zelensky complained. For its part “Ukraine supports the fact that such a wonderful nation as Hungary is in the EU, is in NATO, has historically withstood the pressure of the USSR,” he said.
“This is solely about respect. We never put anyone higher than you, we just want equal treatment,” Zelensky added, addressing Hungarians.
Hungary has criticizing the Western approach to the Ukraine conflict from the outset. It has argued that supporting Kiev and attempting to punish Moscow with economic restrictions would not succeed in ending the hostilities and were seriously damaging the economies of EU member states. Budapest has refused to provide military aid to Kiev either directly or through joint EU spending.