Hungary has lifted its 17-month veto on Ukraine's progress toward EU accession, as the new government in Budapest signaled it would allow formal membership talks to begin for Ukraine and neighboring Moldova, the Financial Times reports, according to UNN.
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Ukraine and Moldova were granted EU candidate status in June 2022, and the two countries' applications were "bundled." In January 2025, the European Commission recommended starting formal negotiations to align national legislation with EU standards, but the move was blocked by then-Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
The decision by Orbán's successor, Péter Magyar, made last night, clears the way for negotiations to begin for both countries on June 15. This will allow them to start aligning their legislation with EU standards in the first so-called cluster of six out of the "grueling" 33 policy areas known as accession chapters.
In a statement, Magyar said Budapest would support Ukraine's membership process in exchange for a "comprehensive agreement with Ukraine on expanding the linguistic, educational, cultural, and political rights of the Hungarian minority."
The deal follows weeks of intense negotiations between Kyiv, Budapest, and Brussels, as well as diplomatic pressure from other EU states on Magyar to demonstrate a break from the Orbán regime.
"This important decision to formally launch accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova is a historic moment for both the candidate countries and the EU," said Marilena Raouna, Deputy Minister for European Affairs of Cyprus, which holds the bloc's presidency. Raouna added that Cyprus had worked "diligently and inclusively with all member states to ensure tangible progress."
Marta Kos, the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, told the FT last week that she expected Hungary to allow the opening of the first cluster this month and the rest in July, citing a "changed narrative."
Ahead of yesterday's decision, both countries have spent the past year working informally with Brussels to pass the legislation required to provisionally complete the chapters.
Hungary's change of course occurred yesterday evening following the conclusion of a meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels, triggering a rapid effort on the technical issues needed to prepare for the formal opening of the first cluster in 11 days.
"We have waited so long, and now history is unfolding incredibly fast," said one European diplomat involved in the negotiations.