A top NATO official on Tuesday said a letter from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán vowing to block any moves toward Ukraine's accession at an upcoming summit will have no impact on Kyiv's standing with the alliance.
On Monday, Ukrainian news outlet Europeiska Pravda reported that the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a missive to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stating, "Orban is planning to vote against any document that will be proposed for adoption by the members of the Alliance after the meeting with the Ukrainian and Georgian leaders."
According to the Pravda report, the letter was sent just days after a Ukrainian-Hungarian ministerial where officials from both countries had largely resolved a dispute over a Ukrainian law on education that stood in violation of the Venice Commission, a legal advisory body to the Council of Europe.
If Ukraine agreed to come into compliance with the law, Hungarian officials said, they would unblock Ukraine's efforts to join NATO. As NATO member since 1999, Hungary's permanent delegation can veto accession efforts by aspiring NATO member countries, such as Ukraine.
Neither NATO nor Hungarian officials have commented on why Budapest suddenly reversed its decision on NATO-Ukrainian ties, nor has either party agreed to divulge the contents of the letter.
NATO officials on Tuesday confirmed possession of the letter, but directed queries about its contents to Budapest.