Hungary’s Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, has reaffirmed his government’s firm refusal to allow the opening of accession talks between Ukraine and the European Union, citing a range of security, economic, and social concerns that he believes outweigh Kyiv’s candidate status. As reiterated following an informal EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Copenhagen on August 30, Szijjártó underscored that Budapest will not permit the “substantive part” of the negotiations, the opening of specific accession chapters to begin.
The Hungarian minister argued that advancing Ukraine’s candidacy would endanger the livelihoods of Hungarian farmers, weaken the nation’s food security, and potentially allow infiltration by what he described as the “Ukrainian mafia” . Beyond these domestic concerns, Szijjártó accused Brussels and Kyiv of collaborating in ways that could jeopardize Hungary’s energy security and drive up utility costs for its citizens, thereby reinforcing his government’s objection to further sanctions on key energy suppliers.
Even amid pressure from other EU capitals seeking to expedite Ukraine’s EU path, Szijjártó made clear that Budapest would not yield. He framed his stance as a protective measure defending Hungary’s economic interests and rejecting what he sees as unrealistic timelines imposed on Brussels by other member states.
