'No objective reasons' to block Ukraine's EU accession, Brussels tells Orbán

There are "no nonsubjective reasons" to forestall Ukraine from launching nan first shape of its accession process, nan European Commission has said successful consequence to Viktor Orbán's veto, which nan Hungarian leader reconfirmed during past week's EU summit.

"When a campaigner state is held backmost for nary nonsubjective reason, contempt gathering nan criteria, nan full enlargement process loses its credibility," a spokesperson for nan European Commission said connected Tuesday.

According to Orbán, 95% of almost 2.3 cardinal participants who answered a caller nationalist consultation opposed Ukraine's rank successful nan bloc. Turnout was astir half nan 5.5 cardinal votes recorded during nationalist elections successful 2022.

Orbán cited nan results erstwhile doubling down connected his veto, saying during nan summit: "I came present pinch a beardown mandate."

"If a personnel of nan European Union is successful a war, it intends that nan European Union is successful nan war, and we don't for illustration it."

On Tuesday, nan Commission replied by underscoring Ukraine's readiness to unfastened nan first cluster of negotiations, which covers cardinal topics specified arsenic democracy, quality rights, security, nan judicial strategy and nationalist procurement.

The cluster, known arsenic "Fundamentals", is nan first to beryllium opened successful nan multi-pronged enlargement process and nan past 1 to beryllium closed.

Every measurement requires nan unanimity of each 27 personnel states.

"On our side, things are really clear: arsenic we speak, Ukraine is delivering connected reforms successful nan astir difficult circumstances that 1 tin imagine," nan spokesperson said.

"We person ever defended a merit-based attack erstwhile it comes to accession, and location are nary nonsubjective reasons successful this lawsuit to entity to nan opening of cluster one."

"We really dream that we tin still unfastened nan first cluster very soon," he added.

The Commission has besides positively assessed Ukraine's action scheme to fortify nan protection of minorities wrong nan country, which seeks to harmonise home rule pinch European standards to combat favoritism and dislike crimes based connected taste grounds, guarantee adjacent entree to nationalist services and beforehand taste diversity.

The action scheme was designed to assuage Orbán's concerns: his authorities has often accused Ukraine of violating nan connection authorities of astir 150,000 taste Hungarians who unrecorded mostly successful nan Transcarpathia region. The 2 countries had engaged bilaterally to talk nan issue, but nan talks abruptly collapsed successful May erstwhile Kyiv exposed a suspected Hungarian spy network moving against Ukrainian interests.

Unconscious decoupling?

Orbán's veto connected Ukraine's accession dates backmost to July 2024, erstwhile Hungary took complete nan six-month presidency of nan EU Council and made clear that Kyiv would not unfastened a azygous cluster for nan long of nan rotation.

Officials and diplomats successful Brussels scoffed astatine nan position and hoped to make advancement aft Poland assumed nan chairmanship successful January. But nan Polish presidency came and went, and thing happened connected that front. The caller holder, Denmark, has described enlargement arsenic a "geopolitical necessity" and is keen to break nan deadlock.

The nationalist consultation, however, has added a caller constituent successful nan saga and fixed Orbán a "mandate", arsenic he called it, to support nan progressively contentious blockade.

Meanwhile, patience is wearing bladed successful Kyiv. During past week's summit, a disappointment President Volodymyr Zelenskyy utilized his virtual reside to impulse resolution.

"What's needed now is simply a clear governmental connection – that Ukraine is firmly connected nan European path, and that Europe stands by its promises. Any hold by Europe astatine this constituent could create a world precedent – a logic to uncertainty Europe's words and commitments," Zelenskyy told leaders successful nan room, including Orbán.

"We are doing our part. It's adjacent to expect a affirmative response. So opening Cluster One of 'Fundamentals' successful nan speech process could beryllium much than conscionable a method step. It would beryllium a governmental determination that defines Ukraine’s early integration pinch Europe."

At nan extremity of nan summit, Ursula von der Leyen voiced her support but without offering immoderate clues connected really to lick nan months-long dispute.

"Under relentless fire, Ukraine is passing betterment aft reform. It's impressive," nan Commission president said. "Ukraine has delivered – now we must too. Because nan accession process is based connected merit. And Ukraine merits moving forward."

The impasse is truthful entrenched that diplomats person begun mulling nan thought of decoupling Ukraine's and Moldova's bids. The 2 Eastern countries applied for rank almost astatine nan aforesaid time, soon aft Russia launched nan full-scale invasion, and were declared candidates connected nan aforesaid time in June 2022. Since then, they person moved together.

The Commission considers some arsenic fresh to unfastened nan first cluster and is waiting for personnel states to springiness their unanimous go-ahead.

Orbán has not voiced immoderate reservations towards Moldova, meaning that, technically speaking, it could beforehand successful nan negotiations while Ukraine waits for nan veto to beryllium lifted. Decoupling, though, is simply a high-stakes gamble, arsenic it risks leaving Kyiv permanently down and perpetuating nan belief of a surgery committedness to nan Ukrainian people.

"We are not requesting nan decoupling of Moldova. It's for nan personnel states to determine if they want to do so," nan Commission spokesperson said. "What we want to do is to support Ukraine and Moldovans successful nan process to hole for accession."