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Orban: Ukraine wants a change of power in Hungary to secure EU membership

23 January 2026 17:10 (UTC +04:00)

There is an informal plan within the European Union (EU) that envisages Ukraine’s accession to the EU as early as 2027, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told journalists, APA reports, citing Hungary’s Telex publication.

According to him, an EU document not intended for the public discusses the possibility of Ukraine’s accelerated accession to the European Union and the allocation of EUR 800 billion to Kyiv for this purpose.

The Telex publication notes that Brussels’ plan to allocate this amount of funding to Ukraine is accurate, but the funds are expected to be provided over a period of 10 years, mainly within the framework of various projects aimed at the country’s socio-economic recovery after the war with Russia.

Orban also stated that Ukraine is seeking a change of power in Hungary:

Ukraine is trying to bring about a change of government in Hungary, because there will be no Hungarian parliament over the next 100 years that would vote in favor of Ukraine’s EU membership. For this reason, Kyiv is interested in the formation of a pro-Ukrainian government in Budapest.

Note that parliamentary elections will be held in Hungary in April. According to surveys, the ruling national-conservative Fidesz party led by Orban, may lose to the opposition Tisza Party, headed by former ally Peter Magyar.

Compared to Fidesz, the Tisza Party takes a more pro-European stance and supports Ukraine. Orban and his party, meanwhile, are known as one of the political forces in Europe closest to the Kremlin.