Bóka calls for ‘fundamental change' in EU's Ukraine strategy
After an EU affairs ministers' meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday, János Bóka, European Union affairs minister, has called for a 'fundamental change' in the EU's strategy when it comes to Ukraine.
Bóka told a press conference that Hungary had proposed that the EU summit should 'mention in a short text that an immediate ceasefire and peace talks are needed in the war.'
The proposal received no support from other member states, so 'I see no chance of a consensus on the EU Council's declaration regarding Ukraine on Thursday.'
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will take part in the summit after the results of Hungary's recently concluded Vote 2025 referendum have been revealed, and that will determine the government's stance on the matter, he added.
Regarding the crisis in the Middle East, Bóka said Hungary had a vested interest in easing tensions, as escalation would bring the threat of terrorism, stronger migration pressure and growing energy prices to Europe. 'We fully back the peace initiative of [US] President Trump,' he added.
Meanwhile, Bóka said the EU should focus on developing the member states' defence capabilities, 'we can't allow outsourcing those capacities to protect a third country.'
Regarding defence expenditures, Bóka said that member states' exemption clauses, which allowed them a greater room for financial manoeuvres, should be expanded and prolonged indefinitely. Defence spending funded from the EU budget should be deductible as the member state's contribution, he added.
On the matter of competitiveness, Bóka said the Budapest declaration had determined extremely high energy prices as one of the most important impediments to European competitiveness. 'We expected the EC to propose measures that would decrease energy prices … What we got was REPowerEU, which means growing prices and supply security problems,' he said.
Hungary and Slovakia were acting in unison on calling for REPowerEU to be withdrawn, he said.
Regarding EU enlargement, Bóka said 'we must send positive feedback to the countries of the Western Balkans. Hungary wants a speedy accession procedure, because the future of these countries is in the European Union,' he said.
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