Hungary's Orban takes hard line on Ukraine before EU summit
Hungary's Orban takes hard line on Ukraine before EU summit
Hungary reaffirmed its opposition on Wednesday to plans to advance Ukraine's bid to join the European Union, setting the stage for a clash at an EU leaders' summit this week.
Hot take, EU should just swap Hungary for Ukraine at this point.
Both have problems with corruption and democratic standards, but one sees that as a good thing and one at least tries to be better.
I can’t believe that they formed the EU with specific criteria that you had to meet to join but didn’t put something in to make sure that each member continues to meet the same criteria.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
BUDAPEST/BRUSSELS, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Hungary reaffirmed its opposition on Wednesday to plans to advance Ukraine's bid to join the European Union, setting the stage for a clash at an EU leaders' summit this week.
"Considering the numbers, economic analyses and taking it seriously that talks (with Ukraine) would aim to grant membership ... then we must say that this thought at the moment is absurd, ridiculous and not serious," Orban said.
His comments contrasted sharply with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who urged the 27-member bloc to support Ukraine for "as long as it takes" following Russia's full-scale invasion in February last year.
Orban has threatened to veto proposals to allow Kyiv to start accession talks and to receive substantial financial and military aid from the EU budget.
Orban, who says the rights of tens of thousands of his ethnic kin living in western Ukraine are being denied, disputed this interpretation.
The Commission is meanwhile expected to unlock Hungary's access to 10 billion euros this week that had previously been frozen over concerns Budapest had damaged democratic checks and balances in the country.
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A hard line of coke.