EU lacks tools to curb Hungary’s brazen behavior — EU official

Rasa Juknevičienė, deputy chair of the European Parliament’s Security and Defense Subcommittee and former Lithuanian defense minister, said this in an interview with Yuri Fizer on the European Space program on Espreso TV.

"I do not see many problems in the European Parliament. The European Parliament has been adopting resolutions and opinions on EU enlargement with a large majority. The main five pro-European political groups are very supportive [of Ukraine].

Yes, there are some far right and to some extent far left groups that are less supportive. The far right, especially parties like Alternative for Germany, are very vocal and openly pro-Russian. But they are a small group, about 30 members out of 720. They are loud, they talk a lot, but they are not the ones making decisions. So the issue is not in the Parliament," Juknevičienė noted.

According to the Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s Security and Defense Subcommittee, the biggest challenge today is Hungary’s stance. Hungary blocks key decisions and effectively acts as a channel of Kremlin influence within the European Union. This is, without exaggeration, a serious threat.

"I have to admit, I agree with those who say that it is a serious problem, and there is still no good solution for how to deal with it. Many are now looking ahead to the next elections in 2026. There is a new alternative emerging, a party from my political family, the European People’s Party, which is currently leading in the polls. So maybe Hungarians will make the decision themselves and help solve this problem," Juknevičienė emphasized.

The EU official also added that Viktor Orbán, like many other authoritarian leaders, plays a very simple but extremely dangerous game — he creates an imaginary enemy and then mobilizes political support by opposing it. Unfortunately, Ukraine has become that enemy for him today.

“And yes, who knows, maybe other countries could also raise obstacles. That is why we need to change our rules within the European Union. You asked about the European Parliament. In the previous term, we already voted and adopted a clear position on the veto right. We believe that some changes must be made to the treaties. But how can we change the treaties? These treaties were adopted through referendums in each member state. It is not an easy process.

That is why it is crucial to have responsible leaders in each EU country,” Juknevičienė concluded.

• Earlier, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán commented on Ukraine's accession to the EU, saying that in such a case, Kyiv would "suck up every euro, forint, and zloty."
• On June 21, the leader of Hungary’s opposition party Tisza, Péter Magyar, declared a “complete failure” of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s referendum on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.