Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Jun 02, 2025

Ukraine in Nato: Orban casts doubt on long-term membership plan

Ukraine in Nato: Orban casts doubt on long-term membership plan

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has cast doubt on Ukraine's long-held aspiration to join Nato.

His intervention came after the bloc's boss, Jens Stoltenberg, said on Friday that "all Nato allies have agreed that Ukraine will become a Nato member".

Mr Stoltenberg has consistently said Kyiv will join Nato in the medium term, once the Russian invasion is over.

But Mr Orban was quick to express his surprise at the latest claim in a one-word tweet on Friday afternoon.

"What?!" the Hungarian prime minister exclaimed, reacting to an article on Mr Stoltenberg's comments.

Nato is a military alliance of 31 countries, mainly in Europe, but also including the US and Canada. Hungary, like all members, can veto new members joining.

Nato members - including Hungary - agreed in 2008 that Ukraine would eventually join the alliance, while denying it immediate membership.

Joining the bloc brings the protection of Nato's Article Five, which says an attack on one member is an attack on all.

In effect, it means that if Ukraine were invaded or attacked all Nato members - including the US - would come to its aid.

But Hungary, which joined Nato in 1999, has already shown a willingness to oppose the expansion of the alliance. After months of delays, it signed off on Finland's bid to join in March.

And it has joined with Turkey in holding up Sweden's bid. In March government spokesperson Zoltán Kovács accused officials in Sweden of sitting on a "crumbling throne of moral superiority".

Relations have long been tense between Kyiv and Budapest.

Mr Orban is less critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin than other Western leaders. And while his government has condemned the illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Hungarian leader has not sent arms to Kyiv.

Hungary has also spent years blocking high-level summits between Nato officials and Ukrainian military leaders, claiming to have concerns over the rights of Hungarian speakers in western Ukraine.

Despite his assertion, Mr Stoltenberg conceded at a meeting at the Ramstein US air base in Germany that Kyiv's bid to join the alliance was not an immediate priority.

"The main focus now is of course on how to ensure that Ukraine prevails [in the war with Russia]," he said. "Without a sovereign, independent Ukraine, there is no meaning in discussing membership."

But Budapest's stance promises to ignite a fresh dispute within Nato.

The bloc's eastern members have spent months pushing officials to give Kyiv an accession timeline and to provide signals that it is making progress to joining the alliance.

Mr Stoltenberg also said he was confident Ukraine could regain ground in a much-anticipated counter-offensive.

"I'm confident that they will now be in a position to be able to liberate even more land," he said.

There has been talk for some weeks of Ukraine launching a spring offensive against Russian forces, whose own offensive in the eastern Donbas region has largely stalled.

Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said on Wednesday that some aspects of the planned counteroffensive were already underway.


Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
×