Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during a joint press conference with European Council President António Costa in Uzhhorod, emphasized his readiness to meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The main goal of such a meeting is to discuss ways to resolve the issue of Hungary blocking negotiations regarding Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Ukraine Meets EU Requirements but is Open to Further Dialogue
Zelensky highlighted that Ukraine is fulfilling all recommendations from the European Union and the European Commission, both legally and practically. According to the president, despite this, the claims from the Hungarian side remain unclear. However, Ukraine is open to dialogue and ready to discuss any issues to reach a compromise.
“We are ready to meet with Orban, to discuss what else they are dissatisfied with, and how we can help so that they are finally satisfied,” Zelensky said, summarizing the conversation with Costa about Ukraine’s EU membership and coordinating further steps.
Signals from Russia and the Position of Other Countries
The president also noted that Ukraine is currently receiving signals about the recognition of its prospects for EU membership even from Russia. Zelensky pointed out that the Russian Federation, albeit with significant delay, acknowledges the reality of Ukraine’s Euro-integration course. He emphasized that this position should also be considered by other countries that support the Russian Federation, describing Hungary’s stance as strange in this context.
Separately, the president stressed the importance of creating an effective security system that will operate both during and after the war. Zelensky is convinced that the current situation opens up opportunities to strengthen the security of Ukraine and its partners.
It is worth noting that on June 26, during the EU summit, Hungary blocked the opening of the first negotiation cluster with Ukraine, despite the positive conclusion from the European Commission regarding Ukraine’s readiness for this stage. Viktor Orban, who previously emphasized the issue of protecting the rights of national minorities in Ukraine, now points to the threat of war, stating: “If we integrate Ukraine into the European Union, we are integrating war.”
In October 2024, the European Commission confirmed that Ukraine had met all necessary conditions outlined in previous conclusions. The European Council had already decided in December 2023 to start negotiations on Ukraine’s and Moldova’s accession to the EU. Both countries received candidate status in June 2022.
Recently, Russian leader Vladimir Putin, after a meeting with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Beijing, stated that “Russia has never opposed Ukraine’s membership in the EU, while NATO is a different matter.”