The European Union has officially agreed to initiate membership talks with Ukraine, despite Hungary's resistance to providing additional financial aid. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán shared the outcome of the EU summit on social media early Friday, highlighting the decision to veto extra funding for Ukraine.
The two-day EU summit aimed to agree on two key issues regarding Ukraine: starting membership negotiations and securing €50 billion in aid for the 2024-2027 budget, crucial for the war-torn country. The U.S. White House had proposed a $60 billion aid plan, but it faced opposition from Republicans in Congress.
During the debate on Ukraine's EU membership, all 26 EU countries agreed, except Hungary, which delayed the decision. Eventually, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz suggested Orbán temporarily leave the room, allowing the process to move forward. In the EU decision-making mechanism, unanimity or at least no opposition is required. Besides Ukraine, the summit also agreed to start membership talks with Moldova, granted candidate status to Georgia, and agreed to negotiate with Bosnia and Herzegovina once conditions are met.
The decision is symbolically significant for Ukraine, especially amid stalled frontline battles and President Zelensky's recent unfruitful visit to the U.S. Last weekend, Zelensky visited the U.S. but failed to persuade Republican lawmakers to approve an additional $61 billion in aid.
Zelensky hailed the decision as a victory that inspires and strengthens, while Ukraine's Foreign Minister earlier stated that starting membership talks is fundamental. The White House welcomed this "historic decision."
However, Ukraine's path to EU membership remains long and challenging. Even if all EU member states greenlight subsequent negotiations, the process could take years. Croatia, the most recent country to join the EU, took ten years from application to acceptance in 2013.
Before formal talks begin in March next year, EU member states must agree on a negotiation framework, and any member can hinder progress through veto. Hungary remains an uncertain factor, with Orbán considering the decision to start talks now as "meaningless, irrational, and wrong." However, he chose to leave the room to allow the agenda to proceed, reserving the right to veto during the negotiation process.
While Orbán softened his stance on Ukraine's EU membership talks, he firmly opposed the financial aid, causing the negotiations to break down. Orbán argued that the additional €50 billion aid for Ukraine would harm Hungary's economic interests, stating, "Using Hungarian people's money to sustain the war is unacceptable."
After the unsuccessful talks, member states agreed to continue discussions in January. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte remains cautiously optimistic about a breakthrough early next year.
The EU has an alternative plan using a special tool that allows 26 member states to proceed without Hungary, but this tool is complex and can only be used for one year.
Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February last year, the EU and its member states have provided approximately €85 billion in funds to Ukraine.
The situation in Ukraine remains challenging, with the eastern frontline looking bleak for Kyiv. On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia has 617,000 soldiers in Ukraine and the situation is improving.
As global attention shifts from Ukraine, the "blood transfusion" from the U.S. and EU shows signs of waning. Opposition voices in the U.S. Congress are growing, and President Biden, facing impeachment investigations, appears somewhat powerless. Although the EU wants to continue showing a united front in supporting Ukraine, internal disagreements persist.
At NATO headquarters in Brussels, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg continues to encourage Western support for Ukraine, framing it as an investment in security, not charity.
Additionally, several Western and Ukrainian media sources reported on Friday that the EU has agreed on its 12th round of sanctions against Russia, targeting Russian diamond exports and tightening the oil price cap. Member states have reached a political agreement and are expected to formally pass it in the coming days.
