Hungary blocked the next step in negotiations on Ukraine's EU accession
Hungary became the only EU country to block the approval of the joint position of the 27 member states, which was necessary to open new negotiation clusters regarding the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the European Union, reports Politico.
According to two EU diplomats, Budapest delayed a key procedural stage that was supposed to ensure further progress in the enlargement negotiations. Because of this, the issue will be reconsidered next week.
Ukraine and Moldova previously reached an important milestone on the path to the EU when on June 15 all bloc countries unanimously supported the opening of the first official negotiation chapter for both countries. At the same time, the process remains politically linked, and the advancement of one application is impossible without the other.
As the media writes, Kyiv and Chișinău expect an acceleration of the eurointegration process. In particular, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka previously told POLITICO that Ukraine aims to open all six negotiation clusters by mid-July.
However, this schedule was threatened after Hungary on Tuesday opposed sending a joint letter to the European Council and the European Commission on behalf of all 27 EU countries outlining the agreed position on the next steps in the negotiations. Unanimity, which is required to make such a decision, was not achieved.
The spokesperson for Hungary's Permanent Representation in Brussels did not comment on the situation.
According to diplomats, Budapest's position corresponds to a cautious approach to Ukraine's eurointegration. Although the Hungarian side did not object to opening the first cluster, it insisted on changing the wording in EU documents, particularly regarding the speed of possible Ukrainian membership.
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