One country's veto of Ukraine's aspirations 'would be irresponsibility of the others', deputy PM says

One country's veto on Ukraine's aspirations "would be irresponsible on the part of others," said Olga Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, UNN reports citing The Guardian.

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The European Commission has recommended that the EU Council start accession talks with Ukraine, and now all eyes are on a key summit of EU leaders in December. But there are fears that Hungary will block this decision.

In her speech at the German Council on Foreign Relations, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna raised this issue.

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It's about talking to each other, convincing each other and helping those who still doubt or try to veto the future of Europe, talking to them and taking responsibility for that veto. Because if we talk about one country's veto on December 15, it would not be one country's veto. It would be irresponsibility on the part of others-those who are not building this consensus, who are not working to focus on the broader picture of Europe's future. I think we all understand what I'm talking about, and this is how we read it, this is how we feel about it."

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Stefanishyna also said that "Ukrainians understand that the longer the war goes on, the more questions arise," The Guardian points out.

Nothing has changed in Ukraine - what has changed is that Kyiv has been watching the narrative change abroad, the deputy prime minister said.

"Indeed, it is important to continue to focus on the things that require our attention," she said, adding that for Ukraine, the focus has not changed - and it needs to win.

As a reminder,

Politico reportedthat Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban threatened to block all EU aid to Ukraine, as well as the country's future accession to the bloc, unless EU leaders agree to revise their entire strategy of supporting Kyiv.

The European Union on November 23 approved an advance payment of 900 million euros ($1 billion) to Hungary from its still-frozen share of recovery funds, as the bloc tries to override Budapest's veto of aid to Ukraine.

EU officials told Reuters last month that the bloc was considering providing aid to Hungary to gain Budapest's support for Ukraine. More recently, however, sources involved in the preparations for the December 14-15 summit of EU leaders to discuss Ukraine expressed growing skepticism that Orban could be influenced.