EU leaders, except Hungary, will praise Ukraine for reforms for accession, Orban holds onto veto - Euractiv
Kyiv • UNN
Leaders of 26 EU countries will note the success of Ukraine's reforms on the path to accession/ Hungary is against, citing its "referendum" and alleged integration of the war.
EU leaders, with the exception of Hungary, are expected to "praise Ukraine for the pace of reforms related to accession" to the bloc, citing a draft of the EU summit conclusions, Euractiv reports, indicating that Budapest is holding its position on a veto on Ukraine's EU membership bid after a "referendum", writes UNN.
Details
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told reporters in Brussels at the EU summit that, based on the results of his "referendum", he plans to continue to veto the opening of any further chapters of EU negotiations with Ukraine.
"The problem is the war. If we integrated Ukraine into the EU, we would integrate the war, we would not want to be in the same community with a country at war," Orban said.
EU leaders were scheduled to receive Volodymyr Zelenskyy via video call during the summit on Thursday, but it was clear that they would not be able to make progress on Ukraine's accession, the publication writes.
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EU leaders, with the exception of Hungary, are expected to "praise Ukraine for the pace of accession-related reforms under the most difficult circumstances"
Brussels and the Polish EU Presidency, as indicated, initially hoped to open the first negotiating cluster on Ukraine and Moldova's EU membership, linked to the so-called "foundations" of common values, the rule of law, an independent judiciary and human rights, in the spring.
According to an internal European Commission assessment seen by Euractiv, "both Ukraine and Moldova will be essentially ready to start negotiations on this chapter."
Referring to this, the leaders of the 26 EU countries are expected to state that they "take note of the European Commission's assessment that the 'fundamentals' cluster is ready for opening"
Budapest has been stalling Ukraine's progress for months, mainly over complaints of discrimination against national minorities, as well as an increasingly pro-Russian course on Ukraine, the publication notes.
Tensions escalated recently when both sides expelled diplomats after Ukraine claimed to have uncovered a Hungarian spy network in Zakarpattia, where a significant number of ethnic Hungarians live.
Budapest has used this as an opportunity to postpone talks on national minorities again, the publication writes.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Polish European Affairs Minister Adam Szłapka dismissed the notion that the Polish presidency had failed.
"We have worked very closely with the European Commission and have done everything possible in this regard - everything is ready for a decision," Szłapka said.
Asked about Hungary's continued obstruction, Szłapka said he would "urge the Hungarian government to ask the Hungarian minority in Ukraine whether they want Ukraine to join the EU."
"I believe the minority wants this," he added.