[1/3]Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as they attend the swearing-in ceremony of Argentine President-elect Javier Milei at the National Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, December 10, 2023. Portal/Matias Baglietto acquires license rights
- EU leaders are discussing Ukraine's application for membership this week
- Ukraine is also hoping for new military aid
BRUSSELS, Dec 11 (Portal) – Hungary said on Monday it would not give in to pressure from other EU states to give the green light to accession talks with Ukraine, setting the stage for a showdown at an EU summit this week .
Ukraine's foreign minister said it would be “devastating” for his country and the EU if the summit on December 14 and 15 did not give the green light for accession talks and more financial and military aid for Kiev to defend itself against the Russian invasion defend.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who boasts of his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has threatened to veto the aid and expansion talks.
Other EU states, including richest member Germany, have said they would support starting negotiations with Kiev over the long process of joining the EU, but Budapest stood still.
“A majority of European politicians want to make such important decisions completely unprepared and lack strategic agreement on the future of Europe,” Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto wrote on Facebook before a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels to prepare for the summit.
“We will not give in to any pressure… no matter where it comes from, whoever it is, and what kind of blackmail or promise it is.”
This is not the first time that Hungary has found itself at odds with its EU partners. It eased sanctions against Russia and last December vetoed an agreement that would give Ukraine 18 billion euros ($19.4 billion) in 2023.
Budapest finally let that aid through after days of haggling over EU aid to Hungary, which had been blocked over concerns about democratic backsliding under Orban.
“I want to believe that Europeans will be united… and today we will send clear messages to our Hungarian counterpart so that this is possible,” French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis described it as “a clash of ideologies between those who want a strong Europe and those who don’t want the EU at all.”
'DESTASTIC CONSEQUENCES'
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who attended the meeting of EU foreign ministers, said that failure to reach an agreement on open accession talks at this week's summit would show the EU is unable to keep its historic commitments .
“I can't imagine, I don't even want to talk about, what devastating consequences will be if the (European) Council doesn't take this decision,” he said, calling it “the mother of all decisions.”
Securing new financial aid from Europe is crucial and doubts about future US support for Kiev are also growing as President Volodymyr Zelensky heads to talks in Washington.
All of these decisions – as well as another on the EU's 12th sanctions package against Russia since Moscow's all-out invasion in February 2022 – require the unanimous support of all 27 countries in the bloc.
As the EU tries again to win Orban's support for Ukraine, the European Commission's executive committee is expected to give Budapest access to 10 billion euros this week.
Diplomats said related attempts by Georgia and Bosnia to advance their hopes of joining the EU – backed by Orban – would fail if Hungary vetoed talks with Ukraine, but some also said a compromise was still possible possible.
Those who expected Orban to give in spoke of a possible compromise that would delay the start of negotiations with Ukraine until March once final conditions were met. Others think it is possible that Orban will not be convinced.
Reporting by Andrew Gray, Gabriela Baczynska in Brussels, Krisztina Than in Budapest, Bart Meijer; Writing by Ingrid Melander and Gabriela Baczynska, editing by Nick Zieminski and Timothy Heritage
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