Orbán says European Commission document envisages Ukraine EU membership by 2027

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said that EU leaders at an EU summit were presented with a confidential European Commission document that envisages Ukraine joining the European Union by 2027.

Source: Hungarian news portal Telex, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The summit was convened to discuss "the development of transatlantic relations", which was the main topic for other leaders and the European Commission president at the final press conference. Orbán, however, focused most on Ukraine.

Orbán said there is a document he "has no right to talk about", which mentions €800 billion for Ukraine, outlines plans for how to generate this money and even mentions a further €700 billion.

"We thought this was an initial position that would later be softened," Orbán said, adding that instead the proposal was adopted "exactly as it came from Ukraine". He warned the plan would require large-scale borrowing, leaving the financial burden on the shoulders of future generations of Europeans.

The prime minister said Hungary would continue to block Ukraine's EU membership and any EU budget framework that provides funds for Kyiv. While he stressed that individual countries remain free to support Ukraine voluntarily, he argued that forced collective EU financing "will destroy the European Union".

In response to another question, he said that, according to the same "confidential document", Ukraine should join the EU by 2027.

In a separate Facebook post, Orbán also commented on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's speech in Davos.

"He considers Europe's aid, weapons and determination on Ukraine insufficient. It did not take long for Brussels to respond: last night Ursula von der Leyen presented a roadmap for Ukraine's development. In it, Brussels took into account all of Ukraine's demands. US$800 billion for Ukraine, accelerated EU accession by 2027 and additional assistance until 2040. This is where we have ended up. While President Zelenskyy sits on a horse, the people of Brussels are ready to pay, like military officers," he wrote.

Background:

• The European Commission president has said the European Union and the US are close to an agreement on a "prosperity plan" for Ukraine, based on five pillars: productivity, Ukraine's integration into the EU market, investment, donors and reforms.
• Earlier, Ukraine's Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko explained what Ukraine would use the US$800 billion from the economic "peace" deal for. The government said this amount would include both grants and loan funds.
• At the same time, the government says the US$800 billion deal for Ukraine has been agreed with the EU and does not contradict the terms of accession.

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