EU ministers failed to start Ukraine/Moldova accession talks due to Hungary’s block, though members resist separating the two processes.
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European ministers in Brussels were unable to start initial accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova because Hungary is blocking progress for Ukraine, potentially leaving Moldova in a difficult position. Despite this, the Twenty-Seven members are resisting separating the two processes to avoid giving a political victory to Viktor Orbán. While both countries gained candidate status around the same time, Ukraine faces ongoing blockades from Budapest, most recently a veto on opening the first negotiation cluster, justified by concerns over the Hungarian minority, agriculture, and the ongoing war. Although Brussels believes both countries meet the technical criteria for opening the first cluster, which requires unanimity, Hungary’s stance regarding Ukraine remains unchanged. Many member states believe separating the processes would unfairly disadvantage Moldova and would be perceived as a political gift to Hungary. Moldova itself does not currently support a separation, emphasizing that Ukraine’s resistance to Russian aggression has kept EU enlargement central to the European agenda. Consequently, Denmark is pushing for a dual approach: increasing pressure on Hungary to lift its veto while simultaneously preparing operational measures to quickly advance negotiations for both countries once the clusters open.
