The EU considers it unlikely that Hungary will agree to Ukraine’s further progress towards membership. Several diplomats familiar with the preparations for the summit of EU leaders scheduled for 26-27 June told Radio Liberty.
The next step on this path was to be the opening of negotiating chapters. This requires the agreement of all 27 EU member states.
However, on the eve of the EU summit, where the decision could potentially be approved, diplomats, who are not authorised to give official comments to the media, do not believe in the possibility of a last-minute “breakthrough”. They say they see no indication that Viktor Orban could approve the decision.
At the summit, they hope to hear from the Hungarian prime minister about the results of the referendum on Ukraine’s EU membership, which Orban organised in his country. But regardless of what they hear, they are not optimistic. They say it is difficult to even guess when the situation will change.
EU officials, who are not authorised to comment on the situation, told Radio Liberty that work continues at the technical level and noted the importance of a positive signal for Ukraine.
By this they mean Ukraine’s fulfilment of the conditions necessary for EU accession, a positive assessment of the progress by the European Commission and further interaction so that actual progress becomes possible at the “appropriate political moment”.
On 26-27 June, another European Council summit will take place, to which Volodymyr Zielenski has been invited. This is the last major political event under the Polish Presidency of the EU Council, ending on 30 June.
Poland’s aim, among other things, was to start formal EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova within the first six months of 2025. However, because of the Hungarian veto, it is not currently achievable. At least not for Ukraine.
The day before, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas responded to a question about the opening of negotiation clusters. She said that the EU should give “Ukrainians hope in this direction. We do insist on positive signals from the EU summit if nothing moves on NATO”.