Hungary

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that Ukraine's accession to the EU is “unthinkable” at the moment. He believes that it would destroy the Hungarian economy, although he does not rule out changing his position in the future.

The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine announces changes to the rules for crossing the border for men aged 18-60 who transport humanitarian and medical supplies. From now on, they will cross the border on a general basis without special permits.

The occupiers attacked Koryukivka and Novhorod-Siversky districts with bombs, drones and artillery. Private homes, a multi-storey building and civilian infrastructure were damaged, with no casualties reported.

European officials are developing proposals to create a special defense fund to increase military investment. They are considering a “rearmament bank” and a special targeted instrument with a budget of 500 billion euros.

Viktor Orbán's government proposes to move the annual LGBT pride parade from the streets of Budapest to an enclosed space, explaining it as “child protection. ” This continues a series of restrictions on the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in Hungary.

Border guards detained a minibus with 16 men who were trying to illegally cross the border with Hungary. Each “client” paid from 7 to 15 thousand dollars, and the organizers face criminal liability.

The Ukrainian fencing team won gold at the European Cadet Championships in Antalya, defeating Hungary 45:26. This is Ukraine's second gold medal at the tournament and its second consecutive victory at the continental championship.

Hungary threatens to block the extension of EU sanctions against Russia, demanding the exclusion of 9 influential Russians. Among them are oligarchs Friedman, Usmanov and Sports Minister Degtyarev.

The head of the Defense Intelligence Service said that Russia is seeking to restore an empire modeled after the USSR with the Warsaw Pact countries, and the next targets could be Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Bulgaria.

Ukraine's Prime Minister urged the EU to speed up negotiations on all six integration clusters. Hungary has blocked negotiations on the first cluster, demanding additional conditions for the protection of minorities.

Viktor Orbán congratulated Alice Weidel on the AfD's high results in the Bundestag elections, but did not mention the winner Friedrich Merz. The far-right AfD came in second with 20.8% of the vote, doubling its previous result.

The agriculture ministers of Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia have called on the European Commission to return to pre-war quotas for Ukrainian agricultural products. They also demanded that Ukraine comply with EU standards.

Peter Szijjarto announced Hungary's support for the American resolution on the war in Ukraine, which does not condemn Russia. The Hungarian minister explained this by Donald Trump's “pro-peace” stance.

In Budapest, several thousand judicial employees marched for the independence of the judiciary in Hungary. The protesters opposed the “freezing” of salary increases and demanded guarantees of judicial independence.

France and Italy are slowing down the adoption of the EU's €20 billion military aid package for Ukraine due to budget constraints. The package includes 1.5 million rounds of ammunition and air defense support, but the time for approval is limited.

Viktor Orban said that Ukraine's accession to the EU depends on Hungary's will and could harm the Hungarian economy. He also threatens to eliminate USAID-funded organizations.

Peter Szijjarto said that Hungary would not support the extension of EU sanctions against Russians and Belarusians. Budapest also opposes the €20 billion aid package for Ukraine, considering it an obstacle to peace.

On February 20, the world celebrates the World Day of Social Justice and other important holidays. Among them are Hooded Sweatshirt Day, Pipe Smoking Day, and Cinematographer and Photographer Day.

Border guards rescued a man who tried to illegally cross the border across the Tisa River without knowing how to swim. The offender, who had been carried away by the current for 50 meters, was found frozen with cut hands.

Hungary has blocked the introduction of EU sanctions against the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill. Szijjarto explained this by the need to preserve the ability of churches to mediate peace.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister called the talks between the US and Russia in Riyadh “great news”. He also said that it was good that the EU was not invited because “supporters of war” should not be at peace talks.

The President of the European Commission announced further support for Ukraine and the need to strengthen the EU's defense. At a meeting in Paris, European leaders reaffirmed their commitment to peace based on Ukraine's sovereignty.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that Europe wants peace based on international order. The summit in Paris will discuss the war in Ukraine and the European security architecture.

Slovakia's prime minister and Hungary's foreign minister criticized the Paris meeting on the deployment of troops in Ukraine. Both politicians support the position against military aid to Kyiv and Ukraine's accession to NATO.

Stanislav Zhelikhovsky explained why Ukraine's automatic accession to NATO is currently unlikely. The expert believes that the EU is a more realistic alternative for ensuring Ukraine's security.

Last year, the SBI investigated 310 cases of organizing illegal border crossings. The most common scheme was deregistration from the military through fake medical diagnoses.

A Ukrainian government delegation begins a working visit to Saudi Arabia to prepare for the President's visit. Projects in energy, agriculture, and infrastructure worth $500 million were presented.

Hungary has blocked the start of negotiations on the first cluster of Ukraine's accession to the EU, demanding an expanded list of conditions. Budapest insists on an additional plan to protect national minorities.

Hungary has vetoed the opening of the first negotiation cluster on Ukraine's EU membership. The blocked "Fundamentals" cluster deals with the rule of law issues.

The Hungarian prime minister said that Russia could be reintegrated into the global economy after a peace deal with the assistance of the United States. Orban also called on Hungary to become independent from the EU and strengthen relations with Asia and the United States.