EU summit in Brussels: EU decides to start Ukraine accession negotiations

The EU has decided to start accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova without Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. At a summit in Brussels, the opponent of this step did not take part in the decisive vote, thereby enabling the positive signal to be sent to the two accession candidates. It had been discussed in advance with Orban that he would leave the room for a while, EU circles said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was delighted with the decision to hold membership talks.

In a video on Facebook, Orban said that they worked together for eight hours. Hungary did not want to support this wrong decision and therefore abstained. “It is a completely senseless, irrational and wrong decision to start negotiations with Ukraine under these circumstances,” said the head of government. Hungary will not change its position. However, the other 26 EU countries insisted that this decision be made. Orban justified his stance with reform requirements that Ukraine has not yet met.

The EU’s decision is symbolic

Supporters of a positive decision, however, pointed out at the summit that the start of EU accession negotiations should primarily be a symbolic step. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) viewed the decision at the EU summit in the evening as a “strong sign of support” for the country attacked by Russia. He also welcomed the decision to start accession talks with Moldova at the same time. “One thing is clear: these countries belong to the European family.” EU Council President Charles Michel spoke of a “historic moment”.

Zelenskyj described the EU decision as a success for Ukraine and all of Europe. “A victory that motivates, inspires and strengthens,” wrote the head of state via the short message service X. “History is made by those who never tire of fighting for freedom,” wrote Zelensky, who made a stopover in Germany that evening had to visit the European headquarters of the US armed forces in Wiesbaden.

The EU Commission had recommended the start of accession negotiations in November, but the European Council still had to agree. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen explained at the time that the Commission had done this despite the conditions not yet being met by saying that the outstanding reforms had already been initiated. “The progress we are seeing in Ukraine is impressive,” she emphasized at the time. She is firmly convinced that this will also strengthen Ukraine in its fight against the Russian war of aggression.

It recently remained unclear whether there was an agreement with Orban that would rule out further blockages with a view to Ukraine’s accession process. Before the first round of negotiations is convened, the so-called negotiating framework with rules and principles for the talks must be agreed upon. Hungary could theoretically threaten a blockade again.

Regardless, the accession negotiations are likely to take many years. Theoretically, a candidate for membership can never become a member. Accession talks are particularly important for the EU. It ensures that an applicant country incorporates all EU legislation into national law. Ukraine’s accession before the end of the war is also considered impossible – among other things because Kiev could then demand military assistance.

Release of almost 10 billion euros for Hungary – blackmail?

Orban categorically rejected allegations that he wanted to use the blockade to free EU funds for his country that had been frozen due to constitutional deficits. “This is not about a trade. This is not about a deal,” he said. Hungary stands for principles.

Around 21 billion euros in EU funds for Hungary are currently frozen. Until shortly before the summit it had even been more than 30 billion euros. Yesterday, however, the EU Commission announced that it would release around ten billion euros due to judicial reforms. MEPs had criticized the decision as unjustified and accused the authority led by von der Leyen of allowing itself to be blackmailed.

At the beginning of the summit, Zelenskyj called for a positive decision for his country. “It’s not about what politicians need. It’s about what the people need,” he said. This affects the people in the trenches, but also those who saved lives in Ukraine or helped ensure that children could learn despite the Russian war of aggression. But a positive decision is also important for EU citizens who believe that Europe should not fall back into the “old days of endless fruitless disputes between the capitals.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Western support was already beginning to crumble. Ukraine no longer produces anything itself and lives on what the West currently supplies for free, he said at his annual press conference. “But the presents are running out.”

Further negotiations on the EU budget

Another difficult topic at the EU summit were the EU Commission’s proposals for an increase in the long-term EU budget. Germany and other net contributors made it clear that they actually only wanted to provide large sums of additional funds for necessary new financial aid for Ukraine and not, for example, for promoting industrial competitiveness and EU migration policy.

It was considered likely that there would be a compromise by the end of the summit that would provide around 17 billion euros in grants and 33 billion euros in loans for Ukraine over the next four years. At the request of countries like Italy, there could be a mid-single-digit billion sum for competition promotion and migration policy.