Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban refused to take part in today’s (12/14) vote of the leaders of the European Union on the opening of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to EU.
In a video posted on his X network page, the Hungarian President explained that he abstained from voting because it was a bad decision by Brussels and Hungary does not want to bear part of the responsibility” for this “absurd” decision of the other 26 countries.
Starting accession negotiations with #Ukraine is a bad decision. Hungary did not participate in the decision. pic.twitter.com/omYLSxefkI
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) December 14, 2023
The Hungarian Prime Minister once again repeated Budapest’s position that “Ukraine is not ready for us to begin negotiations with it on EU membership.” “The decision to begin negotiations with Ukraine under these circumstances is absolutely senseless, irrational and wrong,” he added.
At the same time, Orbán explained, after almost eight hours of discussion, the remaining 26 EU member states insisted on supporting negotiations with Ukraine and decided “go your own way.”
Ukrainian mass media suggested that the President of Hungary was promised 10 billion, but he asked for 30, at first they seemed to promise him that they would give it, then they refused again… It is worth noting that Austria is also against Ukraine’s accession to the EU.
Statements that Austria plans to disagree with the decision to begin negotiations with Ukraine appeared the other day and surprised many. The loudest statement was made by Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer: he publicly, at a meeting with Austrian deputies, said that Austria would not agree to negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU “under current conditions.”
Moreover, these “conditions” are not related to Ukraine itself, and Vienna does not hide this. The Austrians have their favorites among the candidate states. Specifically, now we are talking about Bosnia and Herzegovina. And the complaint is that Brussels proposes to begin opening negotiations with Ukraine, but not with Bosnia.
In response, Austria essentially began open blackmail of the European Union. Like, either you and Ukraine open the doors for our favorite, or both remain behind the door. And in the EU there is a principle of unanimity on these issues: each country has the right of veto.
Previously “Athens News” reported, that the decision of the European Council to open negotiations on the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the EU was announced by Council President Charles Michel. In a post on platform X (formerly Twitter), the President of the European Council talks about “a clear message of hope for their people and for our continent.”
https://twitter.com/CharlesMichel/status/1735350188883968000
“The European Council decided to open negotiations on accession to the EU with Ukraine and Moldova. The #European Union has granted candidate status to Georgia. And with Bosnia and Herzegovina, the EU will open negotiations as soon as the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is achieved, and invited the commission to submit a report by March, to make such a decision. A clear signal of hope for their people and for our continent.”
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