Hungary set to lift veto on Ukraine's EU membership talks
Hungary dropped its veto on two clusters of Ukraine's EU accession talks on Wednesday. The next phase depends on Kyiv's parliament passing a minority-rights law.
Hungary has removed its veto on Ukraine's EU membership talks, paving the way for the European Union to begin negotiations with the Ukrainian nation. This decision follows Ukraine's expected adoption of a minority-rights law next week, a condition Hungary had previously demanded before lifting its veto. The move comes as Hungary prepares to attend the European Council summit next week, where two additional negotiating clusters could be opened with Ukraine.
If successful, this could also advance Moldova's accession talks and allow for a €4.2 billion cohesion payment to Hungary, previously blocked due to corruption concerns. However, the process remains contingent on Ukraine's parliament approving the minority rights legislation, amid ongoing difficulties in achieving stable majorities in the Verkhovna Rada.
The lifting of the veto could also facilitate the first bilateral meeting between Hungary's Prime Minister Péter Magyar and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, previously conditional on resolving the minority rights issue. The two negotiating clusters cover the internal market and competitiveness, with Ukraine having already opened clusters focusing on fundamental issues like the rule of law and external relations.
The ultimate goal is to open all remaining clusters by the end of the year, enabling Ukraine to fully initiate its EU accession process.
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