Hungary lifts veto on Ukraine and Moldova EU accession talks after minority-rights deal with Kyiv

The breakthrough in Brussels

EU ambassadors from the 27 member states launched the process for formally opening the first negotiating cluster with Ukraine and Moldova on Wednesday evening, the Cypriot presidency of the EU Council announced. The move ends a two-year stalemate during which Hungary, under then-prime minister Viktor Orban, had blocked every step toward substantive talks. The Cypriot presidency called the decision a strong signal of unity and determination.

This represents a significant milestone on the path to European integration and sends a strong message of EU unity and determination.

The minority-rights agreement

Hours before the ambassadors' meeting, Hungary's new prime minister Peter Magyar announced a comprehensive agreement with Kyiv on the language, educational, cultural and political rights of the roughly 100,000 ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine's western Transcarpathia region. The deal requires Ukraine to restore a school system for ethnic minorities, allowing pupils to use their mother tongue in class, sit exams in Hungarian and display Hungarian national symbols at celebrations. Kyiv committed to enshrine these conditions in law and in the action plan submitted to Brussels for its accession bid.

A country that wants to start EU accession negotiations must respect these fundamental human rights.

What the first cluster covers

The accession process is divided into six thematic clusters comprising 33 or 35 chapters, depending on the source. The first cluster, now set to open formally on 15 June at an EU ministerial meeting in Luxembourg, requires candidate countries to demonstrate that their justice systems and public administrations meet EU standards. Negotiations typically stretch over years or even decades; the EU's talks with Turkey, launched in 2005, remain frozen after persistent backsliding on democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights.

Budapest's remaining red lines

Magyar stressed that lifting the veto does not mean Hungary supports an accelerated accession procedure for Ukraine. He said Budapest would hold a legally binding referendum on Ukrainian membership if Kyiv manages to close all chapters within 10 to 15 years. The Hungarian government also continues to oppose fast-track timelines that some EU officials have floated.

It is now time to accelerate Moldova's and Ukraine's path to EU membership. This is the best way to ensure minority rights are respected.

The wider political context

Ukraine and Moldova both obtained EU candidate status in 2022, more than four years into Russia's war against Kyiv. The previous Hungarian government under Viktor Orban, defeated in April's election, had repeatedly blocked multibillion-euro aid packages and any progress on accession. German chancellor Friedrich Merz recently proposed an "associated membership" status for Ukraine, arguing that full membership with voting rights was not feasible in the near term. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote to EU leaders in late May urging them not to keep Ukraine in a waiting room. Magyar plans to meet Zelenskyy next week to reset bilateral relations.

What comes next

The formal opening of the first cluster is pencilled in for 15 June on the sidelines of an EU ministerial meeting in Luxembourg. Ireland will take over the rotating six-month EU Council presidency from Cyprus in July. The process remains subject to unanimous approval at every stage, meaning any member state can still slow or halt progress in later clusters.