Hungary’s Veto Stalls Ukraine’s EU Accession Talks

Ukraine's EU accession process is currently stalled as Hungary maintains a political veto, despite the European Commission confirming that Ukraine has met the criteria to start negotiations. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna asserts that Hungary's objections are political rather than merit-based and urges dialogue on minority rights issues. The European Commission warns that Hungary's actions could undermine the credibility of the EU enlargement process, emphasizing there are no objective grounds for blocking Ukraine and commending Ukraine's reform efforts. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán cites a national consultation, where 95% of participants opposed Ukraine's EU membership, to justify Hungary's stance, though the Commission deems the consultation non-binding. Hungary's ruling Fidesz party frames criticism as attacks on national sovereignty. While most EU countries support Ukraine's accession talks, progress requires unanimous agreement from all 27 member states.