Hungary blocks joint EU letter backing Ukraine and Moldova accession process

Hungary has refused to endorse a joint letter intended to be sent on behalf of all 27 European Union member states to the European Council and the European Commission in support of Ukraine’s and Moldova’s accession to the bloc.

According to Politico, citing sources familiar with the matter, the letter is required for Kyiv’s and Chisinau’s membership applications to advance to the next stage of the accession process.

The sources said Hungary was the only member state that declined to back the document. Because approval requires the consent of all 27 member states, the issue is expected to be revisited next week.

Hungary, which previously blocked Ukraine’s accession negotiations for an extended period, was led at the time by Prime Minister Viktor Orban. His successor, Prime Minister Peter Magyar, has not opposed the launch of the negotiation process but has insisted on removing the phrase “as soon as possible” from the draft letter’s reference to Ukraine’s accession.

Magyar said Hungary does not support opening all negotiating chapters simultaneously in an effort to accelerate Ukraine’s membership bid.

Explaining the government’s position, he said: “Partly because the ink on the documents relating to the first chapter has barely dried, and partly because this would send the wrong message to Western Balkan countries such as Serbia, Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia, which have been working for years to become members of the European Union.”

The European Union formally opened the first chapter of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova in June. The process was launched during a ceremony in Luxembourg attended by the foreign ministers of member states and is divided into six thematic clusters covering different areas of legislation and policy.

The opening of the first cluster, which covers core issues including the rule of law, the functioning of democratic institutions and public administration, marks the transition from the preparatory phase to practical work on meeting accession requirements.

The EU’s ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova, has said Kyiv could join the bloc by 2030, although the final timeline will depend on how quickly the Ukrainian authorities complete the required legal and institutional reforms.

Mathernova also said she hoped all 33 negotiating chapters could be opened by the end of the summer.