Zelenskyy: Orban seeking to boost his party's rating by blocking Ukraine

Hungary is blocking Ukraine’s entry into the European Union due to the upcoming elections, because for the country’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who wants to increase his party’s rating based on blocking Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.

"The partners want to see Ukraine in the European Union. There is no hesitation, an absolute majority. Some 26 countries support this. There are some points, but I understand the general atmosphere. At the critical moment of the vote, 26 countries will be on our side. That’s how it is today. Hungary is not on our side. There is only one reason - the elections in Hungary are coming," Zelenskyy said during a meeting with journalists on Wednesday.

He explained that the EU direction is the main trigger for Orban’s election campaign, because he bases his election program on criticizing everything that the European Union offers.

"With this criticism, he fuels, let’s say, his electorate or a more radical electorate. And for him, Ukraine is one of the main, or maybe the main, incentives, so that the rating of his party, the party of the current Prime Minister of Hungary, grows precisely on the basis of blocking Ukraine. Therefore, he will do everything to block us," the president noted.

According to him, there are several ways out of this situation, in particular, changing the rules.

"Changing the rules is being discussed in the corridors of the European Union. When the majority makes a decision. We need to get to that," Zelenskyy said.

"The second option is for partners to use other levers to influence the position of the Prime Minister of Hungary. There is no other way yet," the president added.

He emphasized that, together with the EU, Ukraine believes that by the end of this year it will be ready with six negotiation clusters.