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Hungary lifts EU veto
Hungary lifted its opposition to Ukraine opening formal talks to join the European Union, clearing a key hurdle for Kyiv after Budapest agreed to drop its veto on the start of accession negotiations.
“Hungary has lifted its two-year veto on Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union, clearing the way for the accession process to move forward”
The Washington Post said Hungary agreed to drop its opposition to opening the formal access talks but remained opposed to the fast-track membership process that Ukraine says it needs as protection from Russia.
In Brussels, the Kyiv Independent reported that all 27 EU member states gave the green light to open the first cluster of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova after an agreement between Kyiv and Budapest cleared the hurdle.
Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said on June 4 that "We are one step closer to the EU membership: steadily moving towards our goal," and the Kyiv Independent said EU officials confirmed the next stage would proceed in mid-June.
The Kyiv Independent also said the plan was to open the first of six enlargement clusters on June 15 in Luxembourg, with a fallback of June 16 at a meeting of European ministers in the same city.
Minority rights drive deal
The shift followed Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s announcement on June 3 that Ukraine and Hungary reached an agreement on the rights of Ukraine’s Hungarian-speaking minority, prompting EU officials to confirm the accession process would move forward.
Euractiv said Magyar set conditions alongside the green light, predicting negotiations would drag on into 2041 and stating that Hungary would put Ukraine’s membership to a legally binding referendum only after Ukraine closed all 33 accession chapters within the next 10 to 15 years.
Euractiv also said the referendum would depend on Ukraine’s treatment of the Hungarian minority in the Transcarpathia region, where it said the Hungarian population is over 10% in some municipalities.
The Kyiv Independent quoted EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos saying on X that "Prime Minister Magyar's announcement of the agreement between Hungary and Ukraine to advance minority rights opens the way for progress on the EU accession path of Ukraine," and it reported that Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and his Hungarian counterpart Anita Orban praised the developments as a "new chapter" in bilateral relations.
The Kyiv Independent further reported that Hungary’s veto had blocked progress for over a year under Viktor Orban, and it said EU diplomats expected discussions among EU ambassadors on June 3 about the formal process to advance Ukraine’s EU membership bid.
What happens next
With Hungary’s veto lifted, the next procedural steps are tied to opening the first of six enlargement clusters, while the overall accession timeline remains long and dependent on further approvals.
“Hungary and Ukraine on Wednesday reached an agreement on the rights of Ukraine's ethnic Hungarian minority, an issue that has long strained relations between the two countries”
The European Conservative said EU ambassadors meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, June 3 launched the procedure to open the first negotiating cluster in accession talks with both Ukraine and Moldova, and it described the dispute as centering on Ukrainian laws introduced since 2015 that expanded Ukrainian in education and public life while restricting minority languages.
It added that Magyar stressed Hungary does not support a fast-track accession process and said that if Ukraine succeeds in closing all 33 negotiating chapters within the next decade or decade and a half, Hungary would hold a binding referendum on eventual entry.
UNITED24 Media reported a parallel development tied to the war effort: Hungary lifted its veto on payments under the European Peace Facility, unblocking more than €40 billion in compensation for EU countries that provide weapons to Ukraine from their own stockpiles.
UNITED24 Media said for now the decision releases €6.6 billion, with the remaining compensation expected to follow later, and it quoted an EU diplomat saying, "This will be a positive reinforcement for those member states that have provided the strongest support to Ukraine," while noting EU countries still need to agree on new rules for how the funds should be used.
