The EU agreed on Thursday to take a decisive step and start negotiations with Ukraine on its integration into the community club. The 27 overcame the veto of Hungary and its Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who flatly refused to start the historic process. Isolated from the rest of the leaders, the Hungarian ultra-conservative withdrew from the vote and left the room where the other 26 leaders gave a free hand to Kiev, which has been resisting Russian aggression for almost two years. “The decision shows the credibility and strength of the EU,” European Council President Charles Michel told reporters during the leaders' summit in Brussels. “We want to support Ukraine and that is a strong political signal,” he hastily added. This leap forward – which, however, includes the nuance that Kiev must finalize some details of the necessary reforms before the negotiating framework is set – exposes the most sensitive point of this European meeting. As Russian President Vladimir Putin boasted this Thursday that Western support was waning, the EU managed to plug the gaps and maintain its commitment.
“This is a victory for Ukraine. A victory for all of Europe,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky celebrated on social media a few minutes after the decision was published. In fact, the EU's decision, although very symbolic because the road is long, is the only victory for months in Ukraine, where the war is almost entrenched in the face of Russia's strong defenses and where the fatigue of citizens despite the resistance makes everything clear . The path towards the EU is all the more relevant as US support for Kiev is faltering due to its internal political differences (mainly due to Republican opposition).
This is a victory for Ukraine. A victory for all of Europe. A victory that motivates, inspires and strengthens. https://t.co/zk44CeL5Ui
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володиmir Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 14, 2023
A few hours before his adoption, Zelensky made a solemn appeal to the EU heads of state and government. “Today I ask you one thing: do not betray the people [ucranio] and their belief in Europe,” he demanded in a video conference speech before the summit shortly before the decision. “Today is a special day. And this day will go down in history. Whether good or bad for us, history will record everything. Every word, every step, every action and inaction. “Who fought for what,” he emphasized. And he added: “It is very important that Europe does not fall into indecision again today.” Nobody wants Europe to be seen as untrustworthy or incapable of making the decisions it has prepared. “The people of Europe will not understand it “If Putin's satisfied smile becomes a reward for a meeting in Brussels.” In addition to Ukraine, the EU is also aiming for Moldova to join, but is leaving Bosnia on ice until March.
The EU has therefore agreed to open a dialogue to bring these two countries on board, but will only set the framework for this “once the relevant steps set out in the Commission's recommendations have been adopted,” according to the draft conclusions summit. to which this newspaper had access and which is now being processed by the Legal Service of the European Council. In November, the municipal council recommended starting the accession dialogue in its report on Ukraine's progress towards the EU, but noted that there were still some gaps to be filled in three of the seven conditions for this, as EL PAÍS reported. .
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The link to this report seems to have saved Orbán's resistance. The Hungarian ultra-conservative – closer to Moscow than to Kiev – who has been insisting for weeks that Ukraine has not met all the conditions to initiate a trial on merits, has insisted again. “It is a completely pointless, irrational and wrong decision to start accession negotiations with Ukraine. “Hungary will not change its position because 26 other countries have insisted that it be adopted,” he said. Budapest “remained outside the decision today,” he commented in a video published on his social networks. The vote on accession, which like everything related to the expansion of the community club must be unanimous, is valid even if the Hungarian Prime Minister was not in the room. The creative choreography to achieve the agreement was very unusual. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was the one who suggested Orbán leave the room at the time of the farewell, according to three community sources who see this solution as a constructive solution.
The Hungarian head of state has finally opened his hand. This came after an intense diplomatic offensive and the release of the 10.2 billion euros that the European Commission withheld on Wednesday for its violations of the rule of law, which Brussels now considers to have been partially restored through several reforms of its justice system.
The EU's decision is not just about support for Kiev, but also about the EU's resistance to that support. Upon his arrival in Brussels, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte – probably at one of his last European Councils after announcing his retirement from politics this summer and the November elections won by the far right – had already defined the meeting as “Decisive.” “We must show our commitment to Ukraine,” demanded Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. According to Rutte and Kallas, the summit had to clarify two “crucial” elements for Ukraine: the decision to start dialogue for its EU Accession and an economic rescue package for Kiev.
Once the enlargement aspect is resolved, the other crucial element for Ukraine remains on the table: 50,000 million euros (33,000 in loans and 17,000 in subsidies) over four years, which the technical teams are now negotiating. This amount would be part of a broader review of the multiannual financial framework (the EU's multiannual budget), which includes other elements such as a new chapter on immigration management or competitiveness. On the table is a proposal from Michel that would see the partners raise just over 22 billion euros, a third of what the European Commission has requested. Hungary is blocking it for now and other member states are only supporting new funding for Ukraine, so final approval is difficult but not impossible. The discussions are now technical in nature.
However, the leaders are considering an alternative plan so that if this budget review is not carried out, Ukraine will not be left empty-handed and will provide it with this 50 billion or part of it through an extra-budgetary package or through an agreement with the 26th Member States (all EU Member States except Hungary). Another option is to do this through bilateral loans. Orbán, who is experiencing his great moment of prominence in the EU, assured this Thursday that he was not against an “extra-budgetary” package. “The most important thing we must decide here today and this weekend is that the European Union will receive long-term financial support for Ukraine,” concluded Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.
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