A European Council meeting at the time voted to open accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova without Viktor Orbán, who was “temporarily absent”. Earlier, the Hungarian Prime Minister spoke to European leaders behind closed doors. One of them reportedly suggested that Orban leave the room when a decision on Ukraine was made.
On Thursday, European Council President Charles Michel announced the start of EU accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova. The decision had to be taken unanimously, although at least one country – Hungary – openly opposed Ukraine’s accession to the community.
Victor Orban: It was a bad decision
However, according to a Reuters report, European diplomats said so Victor Orban was then”Not temporarily“. After the vote, the politician insisted he believed it.”That was a bad decision“Advice.
– Hungary does not want to participate in the Council of Europe’s ‘bad decision’ to start membership talks with Ukraine. They abstained from this decision – announced the head of the Hungarian government on social media.
See: Ministerial meeting of Hungary and Ukraine. Against this backdrop, Kiev joined the European Union
“The decision is over Unfathomable, irrational and wrong. 26 countries supported this decision. “That’s why Hungary decided that if the 26 wanted, we would follow their lead, but not Hungary,” the film’s subtitles read.
– Hungary will stick to its positionThe European Union cannot start membership talks with Ukraine, but must strive for a strategic partnership, Prime Minister Orbán declared in an interview for the local Mandarin portal on Wednesday.
Behind-the-scenes conversations
As Reuters reported ahead of Thursday’s summit in Brussels, European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Met Viktor Orban.
Citing EU diplomats, the agency said it was German Chancellor Olaf Scholz who recommended that Orbán leave the room when the decision on Ukraine was made.
Ahead of the two-day summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country had made the necessary political reforms to secure consent and called on the European Union to meet its obligations.
“I hope the EU leaders will appreciate Ukraine’s efforts and do this Historically“- he wrote on social media after a phone conversation with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Unanimous consent of all countries was required to start accession talks with Ukraine.
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