Zelenskyj Confident in Ukraine's EU Membership Path Despite Hungary's Opposition

Published:

Zelenskyj Confident in Ukraine's EU Membership Path Despite Hungary's Opposition
Photo: Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau/TT

The issue of EU membership for Ukraine dominated the conversation during Volodymyr Zelenskyj's press conference after the summit in Copenhagen. Both the Ukrainian president and the meeting's host Mette Frederiksen came down hard on Hungary.

We see an agreement from all our real partners, says Zelenskyj.

I will not allow a country, and especially not (Prime Minister) Viktor Orbán, to make decisions for us. We must find a solution, and find a way to move forward with Hungary, replies Frederiksen.

We must stick to our strategy and making the European Union larger is part of that strategy. We will build a Europe that is as strong as possible.

26 countries are in agreement

Orbán warned on Wednesday that a Ukrainian membership would be to let war into the EU and also said a clear no to the idea of transitioning from unanimous decisions to majority decisions when different negotiation chapters are opened.

The Danish Prime Minister does not want to say that the EU is in disagreement on the issue of membership for Ukraine and Moldova, where negotiations for a potential membership require a yes from all 27 countries.

We have a European agreement, we are 26 countries that are in agreement. We can move forward even without Viktor Orbán's yes, she says.

Zelenskyj is convinced of a future membership.

No one can stop our way into the EU, he says but admits that "we have problems with Hungary, we can talk openly about that".

Orbán has a parliamentary election ahead of him and that is why he is blocking us.

Can persuade Belgium

Also the issue of Ukraine being able to get interest-free reconstruction loans of up to 140 billion euros from Russian frozen assets in the EU has some resistance, in the form of Belgium. But even there, Frederiksen is optimistic.

I know that the Belgian government thinks this is difficult but I believe, I am convinced, that we can persuade them that this is the right way to go.

That the support for Ukraine is strong, she assures and promises more money and more efforts.

Every euro, every dollar and every Danish krona sent to Ukraine is an investment in our own security.

Loading related articles...

Author

TTT
By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers
Loading related posts...