'We do not support Ukraine...': Hungary PM Orban lashes out at Kyiv

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has warned Ukraine thathis government will not support Kyiv in any international issue until the language rights of ethnic Hungarians there are restored.

Speaking in parliament, Orban, a hardcore nationalist, pointed out the 2017 law passed by Kyiv which restricts the use of minority languages in schools. Orban believes the law curbs the rights of roughly 150,000 ethnic Hungarians to use their native tongue, especially in education.

"They want to transform (Hungarian schools) into Ukrainian schools and if that does not work they want to close them," Orban was quoted as saying by Reuters.

"We do not support Ukraine in any issue in the international scene until it restores the laws that guarantee the rights of Hungarians."

Orban's bargaining chip

Orban's statement comes days after European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen suggested the vision of an expanded EU that would include Ukraine. The bloc is expected to decide on whether to begin discussions on assimilating Ukraine into its fold or not in December.

However, to begin such a negotiation would require unanimous backing of all 27 countries in the bloc. With the Hungarian PM seemingly miffed by Ukraine, it looks highly unlikely that Kyiv would have smooth sailing on the issue.

Budapest has already shown that it can use its decisive vote to lengthen proceedings. Sweden has been unable to become a NATO member for over a year due to Orban's unwillingness to ratify the move.

During the same speech, Orban touched upon the topic and said he was not in a rush to approve Sweden's bid to join NATO and that there was no threat to Sweden's security. Budapest has cited what it called undue allegations by Swedish politicians that it had eroded democratic rights.

"I wonder if there is something urgent that would force us to ratify Sweden's NATO bid. I cannot see any such circumstance," Orban said.

Notably, Sweden sped up its process to join the nuclear-armed alliance after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, last year. It submitted the official application in May but to become a member, all 30 NATO allies need to sign the ratification document. Every country has signed the document, bar Turkey and Hungary.

(With inputs from agencies)

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