Kachka on Ukraine’s EU accession: Hungary’s statements hard to take seriously during election campaign

Speaking on TV, Kachka commented on whether all EU member states support Ukraine’s EU bid, Ukrinform reports.

“As for Hungary, it is far too early to say that they are agreeing to anything, because they are currently in the middle of an election campaign. As you understand, during an election campaign what politicians say is always part of campaigning, so we are hearing these statements and positions from Hungary. What is being said now is very difficult to take seriously. We will see what happens after April 12. Whoever wins, once the elections are over, routine work will begin,” Kachka said.

He added that Ukraine would ultimately be able to reach agreements with Hungary.

“I believe that one way or another we will come to an understanding with Hungary, because we have many shared pragmatic goals – particularly in energy, transport, logistics, and even agricultural policy,” he noted.

Kachka also said that Slovakia is interested in Ukraine’s accession to the EU.

“This is the foundation of their economic policy. Prime Minister Robert Fico has spoken about this repeatedly, so there are no real questions here,” he said.

At the same time, the Deputy Prime Minister acknowledged that more concerns may arise among older EU member states, particularly Germany and France. According to him, those countries view EU enlargement as a long-term process that concludes only after decades of checks to ensure that reforms are implemented and function irreversibly, especially in the area of the rule of law.

“But there is also an answer to this concern. The European Commission itself says it wants to introduce a safeguard mechanism that, during the first seven to ten years, would allow responses to any potential discrepancies that may emerge,” Kachka said.

As previously reported by Ukrinform, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha stated that by blocking Ukraine’s EU membership, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is acting in line with the wishes of Russia’s leader. According to Sybiha, Orbán is obstructing the restoration of peace in Europe and turning Hungary into an accomplice of the Kremlin regime.