Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that a state-organized referendum had given him a “strong mandate” to oppose the accession of neighboring Ukraine to the European Union at the summit in Brussels.

The nationalist leader, who is Russia's closest partner in the European Union, has raised a number of objections and obstacles to Kiev's integration into the 27-nation bloc.

As such decisions require unanimity, this has led to a deadlock in the process.

Although the latest Hungarian survey has no legal weight, Orbán often uses such polls, backed by large-scale multimedia campaigns, to justify his opposition to key EU policies.

Official results show that over 95% of those who took part in the poll rejected Ukraine's bid for EU membership, AFP reported.

According to the government, around 2.3 million people – less than a third of Hungarian voters – took part in the postal and online vote, which took place over 67 days.

“I came here with a strong mandate. My voice has become deeper and more masculine,” Orban said.

“Ultimately, on behalf of over two million Hungarians, I will say today at the negotiations that Hungary does not support Ukraine's accession to the European Union,” he added.

Kiev dismissed the significance of the survey. It accused Budapest of manipulating public opinion with “anti-Ukrainian hysteria” to divert attention from its “failures” in the country.

“The Hungarian government has done everything possible to ensure the desired result,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said earlier this week.

“The consultations were accompanied by aggressive incitement of unfounded hatred towards everything related to Ukraine,” it added.

The Hungarian government sent households a leaflet along with their postal ballots listing only the alleged risks of Ukraine joining the EU, without mentioning any possible benefits.

Orbán supported Ukraine's bid for EU membership a few months after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but later changed his position. | BGNES