Viktor Orban urges EU leaders to sign security deal with Russia
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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has urged the European Union to bypass Washington and negotiate a direct security agreement with Russia, which would exclude Ukraine from joining the EU or NATO.
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Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives for an EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Thursday, June 26, 2025 (AP Photo/Omar Havana)
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has called on the European Union to pursue direct negotiations with Russia over a new security arrangement that would formally exclude Ukraine from joining either the EU or NATO.
Speaking during a public address on Sunday, September 7, Orban said, “Europe, in fact, needs to go to Moscow and conclude a security agreement between the EU and Russia, not in Washington. Not only about Ukraine, but also about security between the EU and Russia.”
He added that such a deal would “obviously include that Ukraine will not be a member of either NATO or the EU.”
While opposing Ukraine’s full membership, Orban suggested that Hungary could support an alternative path, a strategic cooperation agreement between Ukraine and the EU that does not entail full integration.
Read more: EU-US trade deal under threat following steel tariffs expansion
He presented this option as a viable compromise that could ease tensions in the region without dragging the EU into open confrontation with Moscow.
Orban warns of economic fallout and conflict escalation
Orban cautioned that Ukraine's accession to the EU would bring the bloc into direct conflict with Russia, leading to economic devastation for Europe.
“Ukraine joining the EU would mean entering into conflict with Russia and destroying the EU economically,” he warned.
The Hungarian prime minister’s remarks reflect his long-standing skepticism of the EU’s alignment with US-led policies and his push for independent EU-Russia relations.
His position diverges sharply from the dominant narrative in Brussels, where support for Ukraine’s EU membership has remained largely consistent since the outbreak of the war.
Read more: 26 nations pledge postwar security guarantees to Ukraine: Macron
