EU set for summit showdown over Ukraine accession talks as Hungary stands firm
Dec 12, 2023
Budapest [Hungary], December 12: Hungary said on Monday it would not bow to pressure from other European Union states to give the green light for accession talks with Ukraine, setting the stage for a showdown at an EU summit this week.
Ukraine's foreign minister said it would be "devastating" for his country and the EU if the Dec. 14-15 summit did not the go-ahead for membership talks and more financial and military aid for Kyiv to defend itself against Russia's invasion.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who boasts about his ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has threatened to veto the aid and enlargement talks.
Other EU states, including richest member Germany, have said they back starting negotiations with Kyiv on the long process of joining the bloc, but Budapest dug in its heels.
"A majority of European politicians want to make such important decisions which are entirely unprepared and lack strategic agreement on the future of Europe," Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto wrote on Facebook before a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels that will help prepare the summit.
"We will not give in to any pressure . irrespective of where that is coming from, from whom, and what kind of blackmail it is or promise."
Hungary is not at odds with its EU partners for the first time. It watered down sanctions against Russia and last December vetoed a deal to grant Ukraine 18 billion euros ($19.4 billion) in 2023.
Budapest eventually allowed that assistance through after haggling for days over EU aid to Hungary, which had been blocked over concerns of democratic backsliding under Orban.
"I want to believe that the Europeans will be united . and we will today send clear messages to our Hungarian counterpart so it can be so," French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis described it as "a clash of ideologies, between those who want Europe to be strong and those who don't want the EU at all."
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
