EU greenlights accession talks with Ukraine but fails to agree new aid package

The 27 leaders of the European Union decided on Thursday to begin accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, issuing a stern rebuke to Russia’s forceful attempts to exert control over its direct neighbourhood.

However, they failed to agree on a 50 billion-euro package in financial aid that Ukraine desperately needs to stay afloat, even as the bloc decided Thursday to open accession negotiations with the war-torn country.

The aid was vetoed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, delivering another tough blow to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after he failed this week to persuade US lawmakers to approve an additional $61 billion for Ukraine, mainly to buy weapons from the US.

The start of accession talks was a momentous moment and stunning reversal for a country at war that had struggled to find the backing for its membership aspirations and long faced obstinate opposition from Orban.

Hungary’s leader decided not to veto the accession talks but then blocked the aid package.

“I can inform you that 26 leaders agreed on the (budget negotiation),” European Council President Charles Michel said. “I should be very precise. One leader, Sweden, needs to consult its parliament, which is in line with the usual procedure for this country, and one leader couldn’t agree.”

The decisions required unanimity among the EU’s members.

Still, Michel, who was chairing the Brussels summit, called the start of accession talks “a clear signal of hope for their people and our continent.”

During a high-stakes summit in Brussels, heads of state and government also granted Georgia the status of candidate country. 

Additionally, the bloc will open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina “once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is reached.” The Balkan country’s progress will be assessed in progress set to be unveiled in March.

“It’s a very powerful political signal, it’s a very powerful political decision,” Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, told reporters after the blessing became official.

“And today and tonight I think, to the people of Ukraine, we are on their side and this decision made by member states is extremely important for the credibility of the European Union.”

“It was important that no member state would oppose the decision and this is why we were in a position to make this announcement tonight,” Michel added.

The approval represents a momentous victory for Kyiv, which is struggling to make inroads in its gruelling counteroffensive against the invading Russian troops. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted Ukraine’s application to join the bloc in the early days of the war and has since then made the case to fast-track the process.

Thursday’s breakthrough was all the more surprising as it came amid Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s veto threats and antagonistic rhetoric.

In the days leading up to the meeting, Orbán had questioned Ukraine’s readiness to start negotiations and the European Commission’s credibility as an impartial arbiter. After being declared a candidate country in June last year, Ukraine was given seven reforms to fulfil as a precondition to start the talks. Brussels has said the country has fully completed four out of the seven reforms, with work underway in the fields of anti-corruption, de-oligarchisation and the rights of minorities.

This progress, estimated at “well over 90%,” was declared enough to allow Kyiv into the next phase, something that Budapest has vehemently challenged.

In a short video posted on X, formerly Twitter, right after the decision was taken, Orbán doubled down on his opposition but admitted to having abstained. An EU official later confirmed that the prime minister “was momentarily absent from the room in a pre-agreed and constructive manner” when the vote took place.

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“Hungary’s position is clear: Ukraine is not prepared to start negotiations on EU membership. It is a completely senseless, irrational and incorrect decision to start negotiations with Ukraine under these circumstances, and Hungary will not change its position,” Orbán said.

“On the other hand, 26 other countries insisted that this decision be made. Therefore, Hungary decided that if the 26 decide to do so, they should go their own way. Hungary does not want to share in this bad decision, and for this reason, Hungary did not participate in the decision today.”

The news from Brussels quickly prompted a succession of social media posts celebrating what many leaders described as a “historic day.”

“This is a victory for Ukraine. A victory for all of Europe. A victory that motivates, inspires, and strengthens,” wrote President Zelenskyy, who delivered a video message during the summit urging leaders to make a positive decision.

“History is made by those who don’t get tired of fighting for freedom,” he added.

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“Moldova turns a new page today with the EU’s go-ahead for accession talks. We’re feeling Europe’s warm embrace today. Thank you for your support and faith in our journey,” said Moldovan President Maia Sandu. “We’re committed to the hard work needed to become an EU member. Moldova is ready to rise to the challenge.”

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili spoke of a “monumental milestone for Georgia” and the rest of the continent. “The unwavering will of the Georgian people has spoken, leading to the well-deserved attainment of candidate status,” Zourabichvili wrote. “Georgia’s reunification with its European family is an irreversible prospect!”

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said the moment had happened “against all odds,” while her Finnish counterpart, Petteri Orpo, called it an “important message of hope.”

“Europe is not leaving Ukraine behind,” said Belgium’s Alexander De Croo. “Today, it was the necessary signal to Ukrainians, but also to Moscow.”

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission and one of Kyiv’s staunchest advocates, hailed “a strategic decision and a day that will remain engraved” in the bloc’s history. “Proud that we have lived up to our promises and delighted for our partners,” von der Leyen said.

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Meanwhile, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar offered his take on the discussions that had preceded the thumbs-up.

“Prime Minister Orbán made his case and made it very strongly. He disagrees with this decision and he’s not changing his opinion in that sense,” Varadkar told reporters.

“Any member state has the power to block accession, block enlargement, block talks with another country to join, and he (Orbán) took the decision not to do that, and I have to say I respect the fact he didn’t do that because it would’ve put us in a very difficult situation.”

Thursday’s decision is but a first step in a protracted, arduous process that covers 36 thematic chapters and can span years before leading to full membership.

The next task will be to draft a negotiating framework, a detailed document that sets the principles and guidelines for the accession talks, which will have to be endorsed by the 27 member states by unanimity. This could happen as soon as March when EU leaders are next scheduled to meet, provided Ukraine has fully satisfied the remaining three preconditions.

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This piece has been updated to include more reactions.