Hungary has withdrawn its two-year-long veto on Ukraine's bid to join the European Union, clearing the way for formal accession talks to begin and ending a protracted political impasse that had strained relations between Budapest and Kyiv to an unprecedented degree.
The breakthrough came unexpectedly on Wednesday evening during a meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels, according to multiple diplomats. Hungary's envoy signaled the removal of objections, allowing the 27 member states to reach the unanimous decision required to initiate negotiations.
Accession to the EU is a complex process involving 33 chapters grouped into six thematic clusters. The first cluster, known as "fundamentals," covers rule of law, human rights, and judicial reform — and is both the first and last to be opened. Ukraine and Moldova, which are informally coupled as candidates, had been unable to unlock this cluster for two years due to Hungary's veto, imposed under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Political Shift in Budapest
The change in Hungary's position came after Orbán's decisive electoral defeat by Péter Magyar, who had pledged to restore ties with Ukraine. In a Facebook video, Magyar confirmed progress in consultations with Kyiv over the rights of the Hungarian minority in the Transcarpathia region, a long-standing source of tension.
"We have reached a comprehensive agreement with Ukraine on the expansion of the linguistic, educational, cultural and political rights of the 100,000-strong Hungarian minority," Magyar said. The commitments, though not detailed, will be incorporated into the action plan Ukraine has submitted to Brussels as part of its membership bid.
Magyar also reiterated his opposition to fast-tracked accession, a stance shared by several other member states wary of compromising the integrity of the enlargement process. "If Ukraine manages to close all 33 accession chapters within 10 or 15 years, our country will hold a legally binding referendum on the issue," he added.
There was no immediate reaction from the Ukrainian government. The EU Council will now send a formal letter to Ukraine and Moldova, which will respond with their positions for ambassadors to assess. The intergovernmental conference, marking the formal start of negotiations, is expected to take place on 15 or 16 June in Luxembourg.
This development comes amid broader European efforts to support Ukraine, including Kyiv's drone revolution reshaping modern warfare and ongoing discussions about EU leaders joining peace talks after a ceasefire. The resolution of the Hungarian veto also follows earlier signals of flexibility from Budapest, as reported in Hungary's signals on EU talks and Magyar's imminent deal on minority rights.
