EU heads of state and government are due to decide on Thursday and Friday whether to start accession negotiations with Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday reiterated to his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky “France's support” for starting negotiations on Ukraine's membership of the European Union, currently blocked by Hungary.
In a telephone conversation, Emmanuel Macron welcomed the adoption by the Ukrainian Parliament on December 8th and 9th of several crucial legal texts, in particular relating to the rights of national minorities, judicial reform and the fight against corruption to the Élysée. “Ukraine thus shows its determination to respond promptly to the recommendations of the European Commission,” the French presidency added.
EU heads of state and government are due to decide on Thursday and Friday whether to start accession negotiations with Ukraine.
Orban inflexible
But Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban continues to stubbornly refuse to open this process. “Ukraine is considered one of the most corrupt countries in the world. It's a joke ! “We cannot make the decision to start an accession negotiation process,” he said after a meeting with Emmanuel Macron in Paris last Thursday.
The French president also reiterated “France's unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of the war of aggression waged by Russia,” the Élysée said.
For his part, Volodymyr Zelensky stated on the X platform that he had informed his French counterpart about military developments at the front. “We discussed our priority needs and the next French military assistance package, which will significantly strengthen Ukraine’s firepower,” he wrote.