Zelenskyy reveals why Hungary is holding up Ukraine's EU future
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Photo: president.gov.ua)
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated during a meeting with journalists on October 8 that Ukraine’s partners want to see the country in the EU — the overwhelming majority support this decision. The only country opposing Ukraine’s European integration is Hungary, but this should not become an obstacle.
"There is no hesitation, the overwhelming majority. 26 countries support this. There are some nuances. But I understand the general atmosphere. At the critical moment of voting, 26 countries will be on our side," the president said.
Hungary opposes Ukraine’s EU accession
However, the head of state admitted that Hungary is against Ukraine joining the EU. He explained this by the election campaign of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who is building it on opposing all decisions of the European Union.
"Hungary is not on our side. The reason is only one — the upcoming elections in Hungary. And the European Union — this direction is the main trigger for the current prime minister's election campaign in Hungary. He builds his election program on basically criticizing everything the European Union proposes," Zelenskyy added.
Simply put, as the president explained, Orbán fuels his electorate with criticism of EU decisions. Ukraine is currently an instrument in this scheme, and blocking its accession to the EU positively affects its party’s ratings.
"That’s why he will do everything to block us," Zelenskyy summed up.
How the situation can be influenced
According to the president, there are several ways to address Hungary’s blocking of EU decisions and Ukraine’s accession to the bloc in particular.
Zelenskyy believes that changing the rules could influence Budapest’s position.
"Changing the rules is being discussed in the corridors of the European Union. When the majority makes the decision. We need to move towards that. For example, I recently met with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. This was one of the most important topics we discussed," the head of state said.
However, he acknowledged that Europeans are conservative about changing the rules, and this does not concern only Ukraine — there will be many different issues and challenges.
"The second option is for partners to use other levers to influence the position of the Hungarian prime minister. There is no other way for now. Together with the European Union, we believe that by the end of this year, Ukraine will be ready with six clusters," the president concluded.
At what stage Ukraine’s European integration stands
Recently, EU Commissioner Marta Kos visited Ukraine to conduct legislative screening for further steps toward Ukraine’s EU accession.
According to media reports, negotiations on Ukraine’s EU accession are expected to begin in the spring of 2026. The approximate date is determined by the fact that this will happen after the parliamentary elections in Hungary, which is blocking Ukraine’s European integration.
The European Council decided to start negotiations on Ukraine’s EU accession in December 2023.
Zelenskyy stated recently that Ukraine will definitely join the EU, regardless of Hungary’s position.
The EU also plans to adopt decisions not unanimously but based on the majority’s position, which would allow bypassing Hungary’s veto on Ukraine’s European integration.
