Hungarian PM doubts Ukraine ready for EU membership

BRUSSELS. July 11 (Interfax) - Ukraine does not meet EU membership criteria, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday.

"Those who say Ukraine is ready for EU membership couldn't be further from reality [...]. The EU leaders speak of Ukraine as if it has met all accession criteria. I just hold my head in disbelief," Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs quoted Orban as saying on X.

In particular, Kiev does not manifest the desire to settle its conflict with Moscow, Orban said.

"If we let Ukraine in, we are letting in the war," he said.

Ukraine often fails to honor civic freedoms and is functioning owing to financial support from the West, Orban said.

Orban said he was particularly concerned about the death of a dual Ukrainian and Hungarian citizen in Ukraine who, according to him, resisted recruitment to the military and died in a hospital after being assaulted.

"A country where people are beaten to death due to forced conscription cannot join the EU," Orban said.

A country's accession to the EU requires unanimous consent of all of its member states.