LONDON

Hungarian foreign minister warned on Thursday that granting Ukraine EU membership would pose "unacceptable risks" for the bloc, including the possibility of being drawn closer to war with Russia.

Hungary wants good relations with all of its neighbors, including Ukraine, but bilateral ties with Ukraine are not in their best shape, said Peter Szijjarto, adding that "the responsibility for this lies entirely with Kyiv."

"It is not Hungary that endangers Ukraine’s energy security. It is not Hungary that tries to drag them into a war against their will. Still, we support positive steps that build trust," the top Hungarian diplomat said on the US social media company X following his meeting with Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka in Budapest.

Recalling that he called on Ukraine "to stop the attacks against the Druzhba oil pipeline," which delivers oil to Hungary, Szijjarto said these strikes do not hurt Russia; they hurt Hungary, threatening its energy security.

"The Hungarian people have made a clear decision: Ukraine’s EU membership goes against Hungary’s economic and security interests," he added.

Szijjarto said a strategic partnership between the EU and Ukraine is "more realistic" but warned that membership would bring "unacceptable risks, including the danger of dragging the EU into war."

"We are open to good relations with Ukraine, but we will never give up our national interest. The future of Hungarian-Ukrainian relations depends solely on Kyiv," he noted.

In another post on X, Szijjarto said Hungary and Slovakia reaffirmed that the EU "must not endanger our energy supply, ignoring geographic, physical and infrastructural reality."

"They are pushing decisions that put Slovaks & Hungarians in a difficult position. Without Russian oil & gas, secure supply is impossible," he said.

Separately, the Hungarian foreign minister held a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying he thanked him and President Donald Trump for their peace efforts.

"Trump is the only leader with the strength to bring peace back to Central Europe, and unlike some European politicians, Hungary stands firmly behind his mission," he noted.