Hungary’s Orbán may soften stance on Ukraine’s EU accession after Trump call, Politico reports

According to the outlet, the exact timing of Moldova’s EU accession and the crucial step known as opening a "negotiation cluster" remains contentious.

Earlier in August, Politico wrote that European officials were considering opening such a "negotiation cluster" for Moldova ahead of the country’s September elections, but not for Ukraine.

However, Ukraine and many of its allies strongly opposed the move, arguing that it would send the wrong signal to Ukrainians in the middle of peace talks mediated by the US.

The fact that US President Donald Trump persuaded Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who opposes Ukraine’s EU membership but expressed readiness to support Moldova’s bid, to lift his objections to Kyiv’s accession has changed the dynamics of the situation, one diplomat told Politico.

A French official told the outlet that in the context of what Ukraine is going through, there are benefits both for Ukraine’s candidacy and for Moldova’s candidacy. Decisions in Brussels must be unanimous, and it is necessary to act within that principle, he added.

The outlet notes that decisions are expected in the coming days or weeks. Two diplomats also expressed hope that in the coming months, given the pressure on Budapest, it will be possible to break the deadlock on Ukraine’s membership.

Orbán is identified as the key obstacle blocking Ukraine’s EU accession, and Kyiv hopes Trump’s pressure may force the Hungarian leader to shift his stance.

"He now has the possibility to climb down from the tree," one diplomat said.

The outlet adds that Orbán is well known for shifting his positions and could even be considered a master at it, particularly in the EU context.

On August 18, Trump held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. There was also a joint meeting between the US and Ukrainian presidents and European leaders.

Afterward, Trump phoned Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, urging him not to block Ukraine’s EU accession talks.

Orbán and his protests

In mid-August, Viktor Orbán explained why he refused to sign the EU statement in support of Ukraine ahead of Donald Trump’s meeting with Vladimir Putin. According to him, the statement attempted to set conditions for a meeting to which EU leaders had not even been invited.

The Hungarian Prime Minister has repeatedly stated that he does not support Ukraine’s EU membership. In June, ahead of an EU summit, Orbán stressed that the war in Ukraine is the main problem, and for this reason, Hungary is not ready to back the integration of a country engaged in an armed conflict.

Orbán also said he would do everything possible to block Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, claiming that otherwise his "conscience would suffer."