Hungary’s parliament adopted a resolution rejecting Ukraine’s membership in the European Union, arguing that admitting a country at war could risk making the bloc a direct party to Russia’s war.
According to Radio Liberty, government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs said the resolution passed with 142 votes in favor, 28 against, and four abstentions in the 199-seat legislature, where Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party holds a dominant majority.
According to Kovacs, the document urges the Hungarian government to support international peace efforts, avoid sending money or weapons to Ukraine, and resist any steps that could draw either Hungary or the EU deeper into the war.
It also opposes initiatives that would turn the EU into what lawmakers described as a military alliance and rejects attempts by EU institutions to bypass unanimity rules in decision-making.
The vote comes on the final day of the current parliament’s mandate, with parliamentary elections scheduled in Hungary for April 12. Hungarian media outlet Index.hu noted that the timing gives the resolution additional political significance ahead of the national campaign.
Hungary has repeatedly blocked or delayed EU decisions related to Ukraine, including aid packages and accession-related measures, making Budapest one of Kyiv’s most vocal critics inside the bloc.
Last week, Hungarian authorities detained seven Ukrainian citizens transporting roughly $82 million in cash and gold, accusing them of money laundering. The incident sharply escalated tensions between Kyiv and Budapest.
Ukraine described it as theft, demanding the immediate return of the funds. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called Hungary’s actions “an unprecedented act of state banditism,” while Kyiv summoned Hungary’s ambassador over the detention of Ukrainian citizens.
Although the detainees were later expelled from Hungary, the seized money and gold remain in the country pending the investigation.