Hungarian PM says Ukraine "not a sovereign country" as EU pays its bills

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has once again questioned Ukraine’s sovereignty, arguing that Kyiv cannot be considered an independent state because it is financially sustained by the European Union.

Speaking to reporters ahead of an informal European Council summit in Copenhagen, Orbán said Ukraine’s reliance on international funding undermines its claims to statehood, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

“Because they are not,” Orbán replied when asked why he does not view Ukraine as a sovereign country.

“They don’t have the money to support themselves. We are paying for the army, we are paying for the bureaucracy, we are paying pensions, we are paying for everything. If someone else is covering your costs, you are not a sovereign country.”

The Hungarian leader stressed that his remarks were not a matter of political judgment but of financial reality.

Orbán has repeatedly voiced scepticism over the EU’s continued military and economic support for Ukraine, often putting him at odds with other European leaders who see backing Kyiv as crucial in its fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion.

By Aghakazim Guliyev