Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has once again set himself apart from much of Europe’s political mainstream by issuing a stark warning: granting NATO membership to Ukraine would ignite a global catastrophe. Speaking in an interview and reiterating his position in a social media post on June 28, Orban declared that Ukraine’s accession to NATO “would mean war with Russia, and World War III the very next day.”

The comments underline Hungary’s consistent opposition to the Western consensus on the Ukraine conflict. Orban’s message was not limited to NATO membership either; he also condemned what he described as the European Union’s “reckless rush” to absorb Ukraine into the bloc, saying such a move would bring the “frontlines into the heart of Europe” and risk destabilizing the entire continent.

Since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, Hungary has adopted a contrarian stance among European Union and NATO member states. Budapest has persistently pushed back against sanctions on Russia, criticized the delivery of Western arms to Ukraine, and repeatedly cautioned against deepening Ukraine’s ties with the EU or NATO.

Orban’s latest remarks come on the heels of Hungary’s veto on June 26 of a joint EU statement supporting the start of accession talks with Ukraine. As per EU rules, unanimity is required among all 27 member states to initiate such a process. Hungary’s lone objection effectively blocked the collective position, highlighting once again Budapest’s role as a........

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