According to the European Commission, Ukraine has met all the preconditions necessary to open official accession talks with Brussels. The Commission stated that Kyiv has implemented significant reforms, including in the areas of justice and anti-corruption.
Still, during the summit of European government leaders in Brussels, no joint decision was reached to start the negotiations. Hungary blocked the joint declaration of the EU leaders. Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán openly declared that he opposes further steps toward Ukraine’s EU membership.
Due to the unanimity rule within the EU, Hungary can entirely halt the accession process. Most other EU member states support opening negotiations with Ukraine.
The Hungarian Fidesz government has long been seen as an obstacle within the EU. This criticism mainly focuses on Orbán's divergent political course and his cooperation with Russia.
Several European politicians have stated in recent months that they will continue to support Ukraine, even outside formal decisions. It is expected that EU member states will now seek alternative, technical, or procedural ways to make progress nonetheless.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other EU officials speak positively about Ukraine’s progress. At the same time, some diplomats warn against rushing steps given the internal divisions within the EU. In particular, there are significant doubts and concerns in other EU agricultural countries about the expected expansion of agricultural exports if Ukraine is admitted.
Although the Hungarian blockade now prevents the official start of negotiations, it remains unclear how long this resistance will last. What is clear is that most EU member states are determined to keep Ukraine within the European sphere of influence.