Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include additional historical context on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's list of demands.
Budapest has a series of demands for the European Union, including the exclusion of Ukraine from membership in the bloc, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced on March 15.
Orban, widely regarded as the EU's most pro-Russian leader, has repeatedly opposed military aid for Ukraine and warned that Ukraine's EU membership would "destroy" Hungary.
The list of demands comes shortly after the EU reportedly struck a deal with Hungary to renew sanctions on more than 2,400 primarily Russian targets hours before they were set to expire on March 15.
"What does the Hungarian nation demand from Brussels?" Orban wrote on X. "Let there be peace, freedom, and unity."
He then listed 12 demands, the last of which reads: "A Union, but without Ukraine."
Orban's list alludes to the historical "12 points" that Hungarian reformers united behind during the country's 1848 revolution, which ultimately failed. The final point on the historic list called for "union" with Transylvania.
Orban, a right-wing nationalist, has repeatedly sought to pit Hungarian identity against Ukrainian freedom and sovereignty. He has accused Kyiv of discriminating against the Hungarian ethnic minority concentrated in southestern Ukraine — a claim Kyiv has denied — and used the issue to obstruct aid to Ukraine and Kyiv's EU aspirations.
Other demands on Orban's list include banning "the unnatural re-education of our children," protecting "Europe’s Christian heritage," and "peace in Europe."
Under Orban's right-wing government, Hungary has repeatedly clashed with the EU, leveraging its member state veto power to block sanctions against Moscow and deepening ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin despite Russia's full-scale invasion.
At an emergency summit on security for Europe and Ukraine held on March 6, 26 EU member states denounced Russian aggression and pledged continued support for Kyiv, while Hungary was the lone dissenting nation.
In exchange for Hungary lifting its veto on the recent sanctions renewal, the EU on March 14 agreed to remove four individuals from the list, fewer than half the number Budapest had demanded. The EU will likely face another confrontation with Budapest in July, when a package of economic sanctions against Russia is up for extension.
At the end of 2024, Hungary became the first EU member to lose out on over $1 billion in funds due to violations of EU standards. The bloc could take further action against Budapest if tensions continue to mount.
If a majority of member states agree, Hungary could even be stripped of its voting rights and veto power.
Ukraine applied for EU membership in 2022 and was granted candidate status within months. Accession talks began in June 2024, with European leaders setting 2030 as a target for Ukraine's potential entry.
Alex Cadier
(Updated: )
