Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is at the center of discussions about the launch of Ukraine’s accession negotiations to the European Union and the approval of a 50 billion euro aid package to Kiev. Hungary has entered into a serious fight with the EU over the Ukraine issue. Orban said on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, “Our position is clear. We do not support Ukraine’s rapid accession to the EU,”he said. [1]
The planned 50 billion Euro economic support to Ukraine, which wants to establish alliances with the West by joining the EU, and the 20 billion Euro aid planned for the Ukrainian Army are vital for the future of the war.
Speaking in Brussels, Poland’s new Prime Minister Donald Tusk described Orban as a “very pragmatic politician” and said he would find a way to win. “Indifference to Ukraine is unacceptable,” Tusk said, adding that he would try to convince Hungary of the necessity of this assistance. [2]
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in his earlier warnings, had said that a qualified majority requirement should be introduced to prevent each member from having a veto on EU enlargement bills. Scholz said, “National parliaments will have the final say, but no longer can one country block every step.”
In order to ease the tensions with Hungary, the EU reactivated a third of the previously frozen 31 billion euro fund, that is, 10.2 billion euros. It is not yet clear whether this will be enough to win Hungary’s support on the Ukraine issue. Regarding the issue, a Hungarian government official pointed out that this would not be enough to lift the veto on Ukraine. [3]
Ukraine is concerned that Western military support may be declining. President Vladimir Zelensky has said that Kiev is doing what was asked of them in the EU accession negotiations and that Hungary has no reason to put obstacles in this regard. [4]
Although they are geographically neighbors, Ukraine and Hungary form opposite poles of the transatlantic divide. While Europe wants to continue its support to Ukraine, it also expects the United States to take decisions in the same direction. It is very difficult for Europe to sustain Ukraine alone without American assistance. In other words, it may not make sense for the EU to support Ukraine alone without the US military-financial assistance. Therefore, transatlantic relations have almost reached a breaking point due to the Ukrainian issue. The UK is trying to ensure the continuation of this support by assuming the role of a bridge Decoupling between Continental Europe and the USA.
In addition to providing economic and military financing to Ukraine, negotiations on accession to the EU are another topic of discussion. To date, Ukraine’s determined struggle against Russia has been appreciated by the West. However, the United States and Europe seem to be less enthusiastic than before about both concrete military aid worth billions of dollars and binding political commitments involving participation in blocs such as the EU and NATO. [5]
Within the EU, Hungary has been one of the leading skeptical countries about the bloc’s expansion into Ukraine. While continental Europe is mobilizing to defend Ukraine, Hungary has taken care to show a more balanced attitude in this war. In a video address to EU leaders, Zelensky said that the bloc had given Ukraine a “clear program” for accession and that postponing the decision would be a “victory” for Russian President Vladimir Putin. [6]
According to The Guardian’s news dated December 13, 2023, European politicians have reported that Hungary will not be able to create obstacles to the implementation of much-needed security measures in Ukraine and this issue will be overcome somehow. [7] According to a diplomat quoted by The Guardian, “We can see that a new group of countries has a different point of view on Ukraine’s candidate status compared to last year. And this group obviously consists of Slovenia, Slovakia, Austria and very strongly Italy. They say there is no money to Ukraine as long as there is no money for citizens. This is a fairly new situation.” has been found in the evaluation.
Hungary will continue to put pressure on the EU to unblock the remaining 20 billion euros of funds. The three-month investigation process into Hungary’s reforms has not yet been completed. Therefore, there may also be some legal obstacles in front of the European Commission’s release of the fund in question. Many EU countries that have criticized Hungary say that issues related to the rule of law should not be turned into a political bargain. In contrast, Hungary argues that Ukraine’s accession negotiations to the EU should not be turned into a political issue.
As a result, the Ukrainian issue has finally been added to the Decadent discussions between Hungary and the EU. How much of the reforms Ukraine has made during the EU accession process is another matter of debate. On the other hand, we cannot say whether Hungary’s blocked funds are a political decision of the EU or not. Hungary and Ukraine are becoming key actors Deconstructing the divisions between Europe and the United States.
[1] “Hungary On Collision Course With EU Over Ukraine”, Irısh Times, https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/2023/12/13/russia-missile-assault-injures-53-people-in-kyiv-says-ukraine/, (Date Accesion: 14.12.2023).
[2] Ibıd.
[3] “Viktor Orbán Rejects Support For Ukraine At Start Of EU Leaders’ Summit”, FT, https://www.ft.com/content/deb40df7-7832-4fee-a822-655ab0288c05, (Date Accesion: 14.12.2023).
[4] “Hungary On Collision Course With EU Over Ukraine”, a.g.e., (Date Accesion: 14.12.2023).
[5] “Ukraine’s Zelensky and Hungary’s Orban Reflect A Divided Washington”, Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/12/12/zelensky-orban-hungary-ukraine-aid-eu-funding/, (Date Accesion: 14.12.2023).
[6] “Viktor Orbán Rejects Support For Ukraine At Start Of EU Leaders’ Summit”, a.g.e., (Date Accesion: 14.12.2023).
[7] “EU Leaders Hope To Face Down Viktor Orbán Over Ukraine Funds Veto”, The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/13/eu-leaders-hope-to-face-down-viktor-orban-ukraine-funds-veto, (Date Accesion: 14.12.2023).
