‘A country where this could happen cannot be a m…

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has forcefully condemned forced conscription in Ukraine, citing the recent death of a Hungarian citizen from Transcarpathia who was reportedly beaten by Ukrainian recruiters. 

Speaking on Kossuth Radio, Orbán linked the tragic incident directly to the ongoing war, asserting that a country where such events occur due to forced conscription is unfit for European Union membership.

“A country where this could happen cannot be a member of the EU,” said Orbán, referring to the beating death of József Sebestyén, a 45-year-old ethnic Hungarian from Transcarpathia,

“We are talking about a Hungarian-Ukrainian dual citizen. This entitles us to avoid using cautious language. They beat a Hungarian citizen to death, that’s the situation. And this is a case that we need to investigate, as this cannot happen,” Orbán stated, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. He highlighted that while the front lines might seem distant to many Hungarians, “the war is taking place in our neighboring country. The threat is directly here.”

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Regarding the man beaten to death, Orbán said that Hungary is working to aid the family, as the man left behind two children.

“Citizenship means that if you are a citizen of a country, you are protected by your own state. You have obligations that you have to fulfil to your community, and the community has an obligation to protect you. So we have to take care of the family, it’s ongoing, we have to look into what happened, it’s ongoing, and we have to ask the Ukrainian authorities. It happens, so it has to be taken seriously, because the one who is beaten is one of us. Clearly, the root of the matter lies in the war,” Orbán said.

Orbán reiterated his belief that “Voks 2025,” a reference to Hungary’s domestic referendum on whether Ukraine should join the EU, was a justified step, arguing that admitting Ukraine into the EU would mean “taking the war and all its consequences.”

He described the conflict as a “devastating war” and a “bloodbath,” drawing parallels to World War I, where “this type of war has no solution on the battlefield.”

Hungary’s prime minister stressed the urgent need for a ceasefire and peace talks, asserting that the war “cannot be won on the front lines.”

Orbán also dismissed the notion that Ukraine has met the conditions for EU membership, particularly regarding corruption and the rule of law. He called claims of Ukraine’s readiness “utter nonsense,” given the ongoing conscription, widespread deaths, lack of a modern economy, and absence of any clear intention to end the war.

“If we take Ukraine, we take war,” he concluded, advocating for an end to the conflict rather than its continued support.

Hungary’s leader framed Hungary’s domestic political landscape around two opposing views on the war. He identified “war parties” in Hungary, such as DK and Tisza, as supporters of the “Brussels war coalition,” while positioning his own party, Fidesz, as an “anti-war, peace party.”

He also voiced strong opposition to proposals for European member states to jointly borrow money to aid Ukraine, arguing that Europe should instead focus on investing in its own economy.