Orban blocks Ukraine decision at EU summit

Brussels - Orban blocks Ukraine decision at EU summit

At the EU summit in Brussels, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban blocked a clear decision to open EU accession negotiations with Ukraine. However, it initially remained unclear whether a positive signal could be sent to Kiev at the end of the summit.

The last regular summit of the year is not due to end until this Friday. Participants did not rule out the possibility that it could even last into the weekend.

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said that he had packed many shirts as a precaution in view of the difficult talks. The summit will last as long as necessary, he said.

On his arrival at the summit, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that it was important to advance the accession process and send a clear signal of support to Kiev. In addition, Russian President Vladimir Putin must know "that he cannot rely on the European Union and its member states to slacken their support for Ukraine ".

At almost the same time in Moscow,Putin pointed out that the West's support was already beginning to crumble. Ukraine was no longer producing anything itself and was living off what the West was currently still supplying free of charge, he said. "But the gifts are running out," Putin said at his annual press conference.

Compromise for Orban?

One possible compromise in the dispute over EU accession negotiations with Ukraine on Thursday was to agree in principle to the start of this step, but at the same time to agree to make a further necessary decision on the scheduling of the first round of negotiations at the earliest at the next regular EU summit next March. In this scenario, it would then be up to the heads of state and government to confirm that Ukraine has actually fulfilled all the necessary reform requirements.

EU Council President Charles Michel's original plan had actually envisaged further decisions being taken at ministerial level.

Orban said at the summit that seven preconditions had been set for further steps in the accession process and that even according to the EU Commission's analysis, three of these had not been fulfilled. There was therefore nothing to discuss at present.

Frozen funds should not be an issue

Orban categorically rejected accusations that he wanted to use the blockade to freeze EU funds for his country due to rule of law deficits. "This is not about a deal. This is not about a deal," he said. Hungary stands for principles.

Around 21 billion euros in EU funds for Hungary are currently still frozen. Until shortly before the summit, it had been more than 30 billion euros. On Wednesday, however, the EU Commission announced that it would release around ten billion euros due to completed judicial reforms.

Orban's position at the summit is particularly problematic because he was able to rely on a summit resolution from June 2022 with regard to the EU accession negotiations with Ukraine. This states that further steps in the accession process should only be decided once "all these conditions have been fully met".

Selensky remembers people in trenches

However, supporters of a positive decision pointed out at the summit that the start of EU accession negotiations should primarily be a symbolic step. "It will take many years before accession takes place anyway," said outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, for example. It is about enabling the next step for a country that is working extremely hard on reforms during a war that it is also waging for the EU.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj, who joined the discussions at the EU summit via video conference at the beginning of the summit, expressed similar sentiments. "It's not about what politicians need. It's about what people need," said Selenskyj according to the speech text published by an EU spokesperson.

This applies to the people in the trenches, but also to those who saved lives in Ukraine or helped children to learn despite the Russian war of aggression. However, 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 capitals".

Germany wants to limit budget increase

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

It was considered likely on Thursday evening that a compromise would be reached by the end of the summit, which 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 such as Italy, there could be a mid-single-digit billion euro sum for competition promotion and migration policy.

However, Orban at least did not initially show himself to be open to concessions. When asked about the scope for compromise, he said: "Hungarians are not genetically sensitive to pressure, that will not affect our position."