BUDAPEST, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Friday that the European Union (EU) should sign a strategic partnership with Ukraine rather than admit the country into the bloc, stressing Budapest's opposition to accelerating Kiev's accession.
Speaking on public Kossuth Radio, Orban said deeper cooperation with Kiev could be pursued through a partnership, but full membership should not be considered.
"I propose that we conclude a strategic agreement with Ukraine. Let there be an agreement between the Union and Ukraine. There are such agreements with the British and with the Turks; this is not unprecedented. But we should not admit them."
Orban said that Hungarians do not want to share a common destiny with Ukrainians, noting that Ukraine's geopolitical reality is to live alongside Russia in ongoing conflict.
"We pity them, but we do not want to share their fate," Orban said, adding that Hungary insists on staying out of the conflict, but admitting Ukraine would risk drawing Hungary into the war with Russia.
He said that there is no military solution to the crisis and called for diplomatic negotiations, adding that the EU's current approach to the conflict in Ukraine amounts to a "war strategy."
Although Hungary often stands alone publicly, in private talks, Orban said he senses growing support from other EU countries.
European leaders met in Copenhagen on Thursday at the seventh summit of the European Political Community (EPC), where Ukraine's ties with the EU were high on the agenda. Orban said proposals tabled at the gathering included increasing EU funds for Ukraine, financing arms deliveries, and fast-tracking accession procedures.
In a post on X, he warned that such initiatives could draw the bloc into the conflict and harm national sovereignty and energy security. "Our position is clear: Hungary will continue to stand for peace and sovereignty," he said. ■