BRUSSELS, Dec 14 (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged a summit of European Union leaders on Thursday to open membership talks with his country, warning that Europe would not understand if the meeting resulted in a “satisfied smile” for Vladimir Putin.
“I ask you one thing today – do not betray the people and their faith in Europe,” he said in an address to the leaders via video link, according to the text of his speech.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Thursday that Ukraine did not fulfil the criteria for to start accession talks with the EU, standing firmly against the view of other EU leaders as he arrived at a high-stakes summit.
Orban is blocking both the start of EU membership talks and 50 billion euros ($54 billion) in financial aid for Kyiv.
The summit comes at a crucial time in Ukraine’s war against Russia’s invasion after a counter-offensive failed to make major gains and with the Biden administration so far unable to get a $60 billion aid package for Kyiv through Congress.
“There is no reason to negotiate membership of Ukraine now,” Orban said as he arrived at the Brussels summit. “Pre-conditions were not met. We have to come back to it later on,” he said, pointing at European Parliament elections next June.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will meet Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban before a summit of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday.
EU leaders head into a high-stakes summit for Ukraine, with Orban blocking both the start of EU membership talks and 50 billion euros ($54 billion) in financial aid for Kyiv.
Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said on Thursday that the EU has to reach an agreement on Ukraine’s EU accession, adding that Hungary’s Prime Minister Victor Orban told her he does not see an agreement on Ukraine’s EU accession.
“I just had a talk with Viktor Orban. He said he does not see an agreement right now,” Kallas told reporters upon her arrival to an EU summit in Brussels.
She said Ukraine has fulfilled the criteria to open accession talks which would take several years.
The summit comes at a crucial time in Ukraine’s war against Russia’s invasion, after a counter-offensive failed to make major gains and with the Biden administration so far unable to get a $60 billion aid package for Kyiv through Congress.
If EU leaders give a green light to membership talks and the four-year financial package, Kyiv will be able to claim a geopolitical victory. Failure to agree would likely be greeted by Moscow as a sign of faltering Western support for Ukraine.
All of the EU’s 27 national leaders except Orban have backed the start of accession talks. But such a decision requires unanimity and the Hungarian, who cultivates close ties to Moscow, has insisted Ukraine is not ready for such a step.
EU set for summit showdown on Ukraine with Hungary’s Orban
On the eve of the two-day summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said his country had carried out the necessary political reforms to get the go-ahead and urged the EU to honour its commitments.
“I count on EU leaders recognizing Ukraine’s efforts and taking this historic step,” he posted on social media after a phone call with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
“Ukraine fulfilled its part and proved that it can achieve tremendous results despite unprecedented challenges.”
Zelenskiy, writing early on Thursday on Telegram, said he had also spoken to new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and “heard words of sincere support”.
Tusk said on the eve of the summit that his role would be to strengthen European determination to support Ukraine against Russia’s invasion. “Apathy on Ukraine is unacceptable,” Tusk said, adding that he will try to convince “some member states”.
Orban has cited corruption in Ukraine and other concerns in justifying his stance. But EU officials and diplomats suspect he is using the issue as a bargaining chip, hoping to obtain funds frozen by the EU over concerns about the rule of law in Hungary.
“We’re not in a Hungarian bazaar where we can exchange one thing for another,” Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said on Wednesday. “Ukraine is a country that wants to respect democratic values … Maybe a lesson for Orban himself.”
RESTORING HUNGARIAN ACCESS TO FUNDS
The European Commission, the EU executive body, on Wednesday restored Hungary’s access to up to 10.2 billion euros in refunds for economic projects after finding it had fulfilled conditions on the independence of its judiciary.
The Commission recommended last month that EU leaders agree to start accession talks with Ukraine. A second unanimous decision would still be needed – possibly in March – to agree a negotiating framework.
Officials and diplomats said a compromise could involve a longer gap between the two decisions and language in the summit declaration on conditions to be fulfilled in the meantime.
But officials also said they were braced for a tough summit that could go late into Friday night or even into the weekend.
Orban has also objected to a Commission proposal to give Ukraine 50 billion euros in grants and loans to keep the state running as part of a broader revision the EU budget.
Such a revision also requires unanimity among EU governments, who would have to pay for it.
Officials say if Hungary sticks to its stance, the EU’s other members could set up financing outside the budget for Ukraine, but that would be more complex and expensive.
EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn told Reuters he thought Hungary would ultimately agree to the package as it contained cash for other projects that Budapest would benefit from.
“It is a package, it’s not only for Ukraine. There is something in it for migration, border protection, support of countries like Turkey, nowadays good friends of Hungary … to get also additional financial means,” Hahn said.
($1 = 0.9193 euros)
