Orban pointed to Ukraine's unwillingness to join the EU due to the murder of a Hungarian

The case of Hungarian citizen Jozsef Szebestien, who was killed during forced conscription in Ukraine, demonstrates that the country is not ready to join the European Union (EU). This was announced on July 18 by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Radio Kossuth.

"One can argue about whether [Ukraine's] justice system, its tax system is ready [for European integration], and whether the methods of resolving economic disputes meet European standards, but here we are talking about the fact that a man who did not want to join the army was beaten to death <...> He was not arrested or tried, but beaten to death. There's nothing you can do about it, it's a clear demonstration that the country is not ready to join the EU," Orban said.

Orban stressed that the Hungarian government calls on the EU "not to turn a blind eye to what is happening" and suggests adding Ukrainian leaders responsible for such actions to the sanctions list. According to him, Budapest has already banned the entry of a number of Ukrainian officials.

"In fact, there is a hunt for people. This is called forced conscription. They are tracking down those who can be immediately shoved into the Ukrainian army. And if they can't persuade them, they do it by force," Orban said.

He added that Brussels continues to assert Ukraine's readiness for European integration, but according to the Hungarian side, this is not true. Orban also called on European bureaucrats to raise the issue at the human rights level and investigate such cases, noting that "European values require this, but in Brussels they prefer to turn a blind eye."

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On July 10, the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Ambassador of Ukraine, after Chebestien died from his injuries. On July 16, the head of the Hungarian government administration, Gergei Gulyash, said that Hungary intends to ban the entry into the country of three Ukrainian militants responsible for the death of a Hungarian during forced conscription in Transcarpathia, if the European Union (EU) does not include them in the sanctions lists.