Bangladesh, May 5 -- The ongoing friction between Hungary and Ukraine over Kievs aspirations to join the European Union has once again come to the forefront, with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban firmly reminding Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky that Ukraines accession cannot happen without Budapests approval. The clash reflects deeper underlying tensions about the future of EU expansion and the political realities facing Ukraines ambitions.

The latest war of words began on May 2, when Orban publicly warned that Ukraines admission into the European bloc would be a disaster for Hungarys economy. Speaking bluntly, he characterized Kievs potential accession as a “collective economic trap,” suggesting that Hungarian tax...