Hungary lifts veto, clearing way for Ukraine-EU talks to open on June 15
Ukraine could begin official EU accession talks as soon as June 15. (Photo: REUTERS/Thomas Peter)
Hungary has lifted its 17-month veto and agreed to allow
Ukraine and Moldova to begin EU accession talks, which could start on June 15, the
Financial Times reported.
Ukraine and Moldova were granted EU candidate status in June
2022, and their applications have been considered together. In January 2025,
the European Commission recommended opening formal talks to bring both
countries’ laws in line with EU standards, but then-Hungarian Prime Minister
Viktor Orbán blocked the process.
The decision by new Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar
clears the way for talks with Ukraine and Moldova to begin as early as June 15.
The first stage will focus on aligning legislation under the first of six
negotiating clusters, which cover 33 policy areas and form part of the EU
accession process, FT reported.
Magyar said Budapest is ready to support Ukraine’s path
toward EU membership in exchange for a comprehensive agreement expanding the
language, education, cultural and political rights of Ukraine’s Hungarian
minority.
The agreement followed several weeks of intensive talks
between Kyiv, Budapest and Brussels, as well as diplomatic pressure from other
EU countries, which urged Hungary’s new government to show it was breaking with
the policies of its predecessor, FT reported.
Cyprus Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna
called the decision to formally launch talks with Ukraine and Moldova a
“historic step” for both the candidate countries and the European Union. She
said Cyprus, which currently holds the presidency of the Council of the EU, had
worked actively with member states to secure concrete progress.
Hungary unexpectedly changed its position at the end of a
meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels, allowing urgent preparations to begin
for the formal opening of the first negotiating cluster 11 days later. One
European diplomat involved in the process said the decision had been awaited
for a very long time and that events moved extremely quickly.
Ukraine’s EU accession
On May 27, Euractiv reported that the European Commission
would propose opening the first negotiating cluster on Ukraine’s and Moldova’s
EU membership on June 16 at a General Affairs Council meeting in Brussels.
On May 21, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz proposed
granting Ukraine “associate member” status, with expanded rights and security
guarantees before full accession.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected the idea as
unfair. He said Ukraine deserves full membership.
On May 11, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said all six
negotiating clusters for Ukraine’s EU accession could be opened in the summer.
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