Hungary's stance delays Ukraine's EU accession decision
The Hungarian minister, Janos Boka, announced that the decision on Ukraine's accession to the EU will be made by summer. Hungary disagrees with the current EU conclusions, which are to be discussed in Brussels on Thursday.
The Hungarian minister for European affairs, Janos Boka, announced in Brussels that Budapest will decide whether to approve Ukraine's accession to the European community in the coming months. Hungary opposes Kyiv's membership.
Budapest does not accept the current European Union conclusions regarding Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainian accession will be discussed at the EU summit on Thursday.
Ukraine's accession process: Hungarian veto on EU conclusions
The European Council meeting will take place in Brussels on that day. At the meeting, the EU will discuss its military support for Ukraine and security guarantees to deter future Russian aggression. Boka announced that Hungary could not agree to the conclusions on Ukraine in their current form, and it seems highly unlikely that the 27 countries will reach an agreement on any text.
The European Union began negotiations with Ukraine in mid-2024. This process consists of 35 chapters, of which 33 are grouped into six thematic clusters.
The decision to open the clusters requires the unanimity of all 27 member states. - The future of the EU enlargement process is now in the hands of Hungarian citizens - Boka stated, highlighting that Hungary is awaiting the results of public consultations before summer.
The Polish presidency, which ends at the end of June, plans to open one or two negotiation clusters with Ukraine. European Commission spokesman Guillaume Mercier noted that the EC expects the first cluster to be opened as soon as 2025. However, the "obstacle" is gaining the consent of all member countries.
Decisions regarding Ukraine's further accession process and military support will be key to the future of Ukraine's relations with the European Union. The Hungarian stance may significantly affect the pace and direction of these negotiations.
