The European Union is looking for ways to bypass Hungary's veto on Ukraine's membership negotiations
Kyiv • UNN
The European Union is discussing how to avoid Hungary blocking negotiations on Ukraine's accession. Brussels is looking for ways to circumvent the veto needed to open and conclude negotiations.
The European Union is discussing ways to prevent Hungary from undermining the start of accession negotiations with Ukraine. Member states of the bloc have the right to veto, but cannot use this instrument indefinitely. This was reported by Bloomberg, citing its own sources familiar with the matter, reports UNN.
Details
During a closed-door discussion in Brussels, some member states called on the European Commission, the bloc's executive body, to explore options for opening the first chapter of Ukraine's accession negotiations, despite Budapest's objections to the treatment of Hungarian minorities in western Ukraine.
Members of the European Parliament believe that Budapest aims to disrupt the process with Prime Minister Viktor Orban's plan to hold "national consultations" on Ukraine's EU membership, despite Hungary's previous approval of the start of accession negotiations in 2023. Hungary lifted its veto only in December of the same year, when Brussels unblocked €10 billion ($1.1 billion) from EU funds blocked due to corruption and rule of law issues in the country.
Member states can only exercise the right of veto to a certain extent. We have seen this happen with the issue of Ukraine. There are a number of tools we can use and we should not be afraid to use them.
Brussels hopes to find and use ways to circumvent this political obstacle. Although unanimity is needed to open and conclude EU accession negotiations, it is not legally binding for opening or closing individual chapters of the process.
Ukraine's application for membership gained new momentum after Russia's full-scale invasion. Although Brussels denied any accelerated path for Ukraine, saying the process should be based on merit, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised Kyiv's progress on reforms despite the war.
This EU move comes amid stepped-up efforts by US President Donald Trump to reach a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Unlike its reluctance to support Ukraine's NATO membership aspirations, one of Moscow's stated goals of aggression, Washington supports Ukraine's EU membership aspirations.
Amid geopolitical turmoil, the bloc has launched an enlargement process in the hope that EU enlargement can bring stability to the continent.
Reminder
Hungary postponed consultations with Ukraine on the rights of national minorities, which were to take place on May 12. These negotiations are important to remove Hungarian reservations about the start of Ukraine's EU accession negotiations.