Nausėda reiterated the importance of Kyiv’s EU integration despite Hungary’s opposition.
During a European Council meeting, Nausėda proposed opening the first cluster of Ukraine’s accession talks in September 2025 and setting 2030 as the target year for full membership.
“That would send an extremely important signal to Ukraine,” Lithuania’s public broadcaster LRT quoted the president.
“We must involve Kyiv in the negotiation process by establishing a specific date for EU membership—2030.”
On June 27, European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine’s path to EU membership.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pointed to Hungary as the sole EU country blocking a formal decision on Kyiv’s accession. Bloomberg recently reported that the bloc is exploring mechanisms to prevent Budapest from stalling the start of negotiations.