Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has criticized the European Union for pushing Ukraine’s membership despite the significant financial burden it could impose on member states.

Orban, a vocal critic of accelerating Ukraine’s accession to the EU, has launched a nationwide survey asking Hungarians if they support Kyiv joining the bloc.

“For Brussels, bringing Ukraine into the EU is about saving face politically and chasing profits during a war that’s not going in their favor,” Orban wrote Tuesday on Facebook, urging citizens to share their opinions.

“But make no mistake,” he added, “this move will come at the expense of European families. Every euro, forint, and zloty currently helping our farmers and industries would instead be diverted to Ukraine.”

He emphasized that Hungary will resist what he described as the “Brussels fantasy” of Ukraine’s integration.

Following the 2014 uprising in Kyiv supported by Western powers, Ukraine made joining both NATO and the EU a top strategic priority. Despite ongoing conflict with Russia, the EU granted Ukraine candidate status in June 2022. Critics argue this was more about symbolism than substance, overlooking serious issues with corruption and governance.

Moscow, in turn, sees Kyiv’s NATO goals as a core cause of the war and accuses the EU of shifting from an economic union to a military force aligned with NATO — a bloc Russia considers a security threat.

Amid rising tensions, EU leaders have discussed ways to neutralize Hungary’s veto in foreign policy matters, especially those related to Ukraine. One idea includes adopting qualified majority voting instead of unanimous agreement. Other suggestions include legally reclassifying actions like military aid to Ukraine or sanctions on Russia so they no longer require full consensus.