EU leaders skeptical of peace talks: Putin shows no willingness
European Union leaders discussed US President Donald Trump’s attempts to broker a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. They agreed that "no real negotiations are taking place at the moment", The Guardian reports.
The EU leaders expressed deep skepticism about Russian President Vladimir Putin's real intentions to end the conflict he initiated.
“They discussed the situation on the ground in Ukraine and the state of play of the US-led talks. There was a shared view that no real negotiations are taking place at the moment,” their statement said.
They also discussed how to support Ukraine politically and militarily. However, Hungary refused to sign the joint statement.
“The European Council calls on Russia to show real political will to end the war,” the statement read, which Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declined to support.
The statement also highlighted that the EU remains "ready to step up further pressure on Russia," including through new sanctions and stricter enforcement of existing restrictive measures.
Hungary's position on Ukraine
Hungary is the main opponent of Ukraine's accession to the European Union. In particular, the Hungarian government is blocking Ukraine's membership process, as well as military and other assistance. Hungary is also delaying the approval of EU sanctions against Russia, often imposing its own conditions.
The EU is currently discussing the possibility of making decisions on Ukraine without Hungary's participation. So far, this issue is only at the stage of preliminary discussions. Last week, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán issued 12 demands to Brussels. One of them is the rejection of Ukraine's accession to the EU.
