Budapest: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Saturday reiterated his opposition to Ukraine's accession to the EU and warned that such a move would have severe economic consequences for Hungary and other Central European countries.

According to Anadolu Agency, in a post on social media platform X, Orban stated, "Europeans do not want their money siphoned off to Ukraine, and they do not want Ukraine in the EU," suggesting that if Central European countries stand "strong," Western Europe might follow and pressure their leaders to change course.

Orban further elaborated in a video shared on X, "If a country is a member of the European Union and gets involved in a war, it gets us involved in it as well. That is why, in our view, Ukraine's membership is out of the question, whether fast-tracked or in any other form."

He emphasized that Ukraine's accession would harm the Hungarian economy, particularly affecting farmers who are already struggling due to cheaper Ukrainian agricultural products entering the European market. Ongoing cooperation among farmers in Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Poland aims to prevent such economic disruptions.

Orban warned, "Ukraine would then take our money, creating a bottomless pit. There would be nothing left for European development. The European economy is already slowing, and this would push it down below zero."

Ukraine applied for EU membership shortly after the war with Russia began in 2022 and has been advocating for accelerated integration as a security mechanism. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently set 2027 as the target year for Kyiv's EU accession.