Hungary has blocked the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union. Hungary is demanding an expanded list of conditions.
This was confirmed in Munich by Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Olha Stefanishyna, UNN reports .
As we speak, one member state is blocking Ukraine's accession to the EU - it happened just yesterday
On the sidelines of the conference, Stefanyshyna confirmed that it was Hungary.
Indeed, our colleagues from the member states have informed us that EU representatives were unable to approve an official invitation to Ukraine to open the first cluster of accession negotiations. Allegedly, Hungary is demanding to expand the list of conditions imposed on Ukraine
We are talking about the Fundamentals cluster, , which deals with the rule of law and democratic values. The Polish EU presidency had previously presented a draft letter with the conditions for opening this cluster.
Ukraine has to prepare and adopt two roadmaps: a rule of law reform plan and a public administration reform plan. This document was supported by almost all member states, except for Hungary, which put forward additional requirements.
According to EU diplomats, official Budapest is demanding a plan to protect national minorities from Kyiv. This could lead to a delay or even disruption of the opening of the first negotiation cluster, scheduled for April.
The blocking took place on the day that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, at the same conference in Munich, announced the need to speed up Ukraine's European integration. Poland, during its presidency of the EU Council, is seeking to open two of the six negotiating clusters with Ukraine - the Fundamentals cluster, which deals with the rule of law, and the External Relations cluster, which deals with foreign policy and defense issues.
Recall
Stefanyshyna said that Hungary and Slovakia are putting forward their own conditions, which are related not only to economic but also to geopolitical interests.