Hungary has stalled a procedural step needed to advance the EU accession paths of Ukraine and Moldova, according to EU diplomatic sources, slowing momentum just weeks after the bloc agreed to open the first formal negotiating chapter for both countries, POLITICO reports. That decision, taken unanimously on June 15, marked a significant milestone after years of blockage, particularly from Hungary’s previous leadership, which opposed Ukraine’s membership bid. Because the two applications are politically linked, progress for one is tied to the other.
Ukraine and Moldova had been preparing for a rapid acceleration of talks, with Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka saying Kyiv aimed to open all six negotiating clusters by mid-July. However, that timeline is now uncertain after Hungary objected on Tuesday to a joint letter intended for the European Council and European Commission outlining the bloc’s unified position. The document requires unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states and will be reconsidered next week, diplomats said.
A Hungarian representative in Brussels did not respond to requests for comment. The current position reflects a cautious approach from Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s government toward the enlargement process. While Hungary did not block the opening of the first cluster, it reportedly pushed to remove wording calling for Ukraine’s membership to proceed “as soon as possible” from recent EU conclusions.
