A European country has launched an attack on Ukraine in an attempt to control parts of the country as Vladimir Putin’s war rages on.
Hungary is fighting to recognise some of Ukraine as “traditionally Hungarian” in a new move by Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
There are now fears that Ukraine’s membership in the European Union could be under threat after Budapest’s position was cemented during the EU Council on Monday.
Previously, Orban called Ukraine joining the EU a “bad decision” after Volodymyr Zelensky applied for accession following the Russian invasion.
Orban said: “EU membership of Ukraine is a bad decision. Hungary does not want to participate in this bad decision, and therefore stayed away from the decision today.”
The EU is now in the midst of discussing whether Ukraine should become a member, with top lawmakers emphasising that the “future of Ukraine and its citizens lies within the European Union”.
During the talks, which began two weeks ago, Hungary brought up concerns about the treatment of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine.
The country laid out a set of demands that Ukraine must meet in order to join the EU, with one of the main ones being improving the treatment of ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia in western Ukraine.
They’re calling for Hungarian to be spoken and used in official settings such as administrative services and education
They also want the region to be considered “traditionally Hungarian”, which would complicate existing territorial battles amid Russia’s campaign in the east.
Despite condemning the war and voicing support for Ukraine, Orban maintains closer ties to Russia than other EU members and does not supply Ukraine with weapons.
Russia is also trying to capture Luhansk, Kherson, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia – all at the centre of ceasefire talks that also want Crimea to remain under Russian control and for Ukraine to stop pursuing NATO membership.
