Minister: Hungary won’t change its mind on Ukraine EU accession

Hungary will not change its mind in connection with starting Ukraine’s European Union accession talks and financial support for the country, the minister of EU affairs said on Tuesday.

Hungary firmly believes that starting EU accession talks would be premature, János Bóka said on Facebook, adding that Hungary’s position was based on principle.

He said financial support for Ukraine needed to be provided outside the EU budget with contributions and “clear political guidance” from member states.

“Linking the funds owed to the Hungarian people and support for Ukraine in any way is an attempt to blackmail Hungary, which the government rejects,” Bóka said.

The minister also said he had given an interview to Financial Times discussing the Hungarian government’s position on Ukraine.

Szijjártó: No decision on Ukraine EU accession talks at General Affairs Council meeting

Despite the pressure that has been applied, the European Union’s General Affairs Council did not make a decision on Tuesday on starting Ukraine’s EU accession talks, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Brussels.

Speaking at a press conference after the council’s meeting, Szijjártó said the talks had mainly focused on the European Commission’s enlargement package, adding that most member states had wanted there to be a decision on starting talks on Ukraine’s EU accession.

But contrary to the original aims and despite the pressure that had been applied, no such decision was made, with the council acknowledging the EC’s assessment, meaning that the decision will go before EU leaders at this week’s summit, Szijjártó said, according to a ministry statement.

He noted that Hungary’s stance on the matter was not a tactical one, arguing that there was “no room for bargaining” because the government believed the EU was not prepared for starting a “well-structured accession process guaranteeing mutual benefits” with Ukraine.

The minister said it was clear that the EC had “no clue” how Ukraine’s potential membership would affect the bloc and its member states.

Meanwhile, Szijjártó said Hungary had succeeded in having planned steps against Serbia removed from the package, along with the planned freezing of community funds for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s autonomous Serb Republic and steps that would have rendered accession talks with North Macedonia impossible.

“Contrary to European or global public opinion, pro-enlargement countries are actually in the minority in the European Union today,” Szijjártó said.

He lamented that the EU had not admitted a new member in ten years, that the bloc had not closed a single accession chapter with any of the candidate countries in six years, and that a new chapter was last opened two years ago.