European leaders ended two consecutive summits in Copenhagen, which were affected by the blocking actions of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. His vetoes have prevented unified backing for Ukraine and have tested the cohesion of the group during a critical period as Russia increases its attacks and the United States withdraws.
Even though other world leaders urged him, Orbán clearly refused to remove his opposition to Ukraine's attempt to become a member of the European Union, which has also stopped Moldova from making progress in its talks.
Expansion is completely reliant on consensus.
A effort by European Council President António Costa totweak the voting rulesand shift to a qualified majority was swiftly rejected by the Hungarian leader.
"The plan is over," he stated.
Orbán also dismissed a pioneering plan to release a€140 billion loanto Ukraine through the use of frozen assets from the Russian Central Bank, even though his Belgian colleague, Bart De Wever, strongly advocated for sharing the burdens.
Belgium hosts Euroclear, the main securities depository that manages the majority of Russian assets, positioning it as the primary focus of the Kremlin's possible response.
"I desire the highest level of legal clarity. I advocate for unity," De Wever stated.on Thursday morningI don't believe this is an illogical stance.
In conclusion of the summit, Orbán provided his response.
Belgium requires the sharing of responsibility. Not a chance. We aren't involved in this agreement," he stated, describing De Wever's points as "highly informative.
If the European Union chooses to take funds from another party, we will not be involved in that (agreement), so we will bear no responsibility going forward.
The absence of agreement risks making what is already becoming a complex plan even more challenging. Without support from the 27 member states, the European Commission would not be able to utilize the EU budget as the final assurance.
The Commission is also seeking to change the process for renewing sanctions to make asset freezes more consistent. However, this would also necessitate unanimous agreement.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen expressed her irritation over Orbán's blocking tactics during the final press briefing in Copenhagen.
"I believe we must adhere to our strategy, and the expansion of the European Union is a component of that strategy. It's a matter for the entire European Union and indeed the whole of Europe. We need to create a powerful Europe, which in my view means expanding the European Union," Frederiksen stated.
"I will not permit a single nation, and I am certainly not going to let Mr. Orbán, make choices that affect the whole of Europe's future," she added.
Frederiksen proposed that Kyiv could continue its technical preparations while awaiting the removal of the veto and the initiation of the first group of accession negotiations ("Fundamentals"). Earlier this week, the European Commissionannouncedthat Ukraine had finished reviewing its laws for all six clusters "in record time".
"If we cannot persuade Viktor Orbán, then I believe we will have to proceed with all the tasks that need to be accomplished between Ukraine and the European Commission," Frederiksen stated.
Next to her, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized Orbán for engaging in political campaigning.
The Hungarian leader has maintained control for 15 consecutive years and is encountering his strongest opposition from Péter Magyar, the leader of the opposition party, who currently leads in public opinion surveys. The nation is set to conduct elections in April 2026.
"Yes, we face challenges with Hungary. We can openly discuss this since Viktor Orbán is facing elections. In my opinion, it's not wise because of the elections, which is why he is preventing a large nation of 40 million people from progressing toward the EU," Zelenskyy stated.
"By the way, Russia started this war because of our will and our decision to head straight to Europe. As we share the same values with all other European nations," he added, mentioning the 2014 Maidan Revolution.
With the accession stalemate continuing and the work on the €140 billion project underway, Brussels is closely monitoringthe 19th set of sanctions, which Bratislava is threatening to block.
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