The European Union (EU) is seeking to start negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the bloc as early as June, pressuring Hungary to drop its opposition to Kyiv's application.
This is reported by Politico.
Currently, the diplomats of the EU and Kyiv are intensively working behind the scenes to obtain consent from Hungary to start negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the bloc. European diplomats familiar with the matter say that the goal is for official negotiations to begin as early as June 25.
"According to diplomats, both Brussels and Kyiv are conducting intensive bilateral diplomacy with Budapest to resolve the problems of the Hungarian minorities in Ukraine," Politico writes.
The publication recalled that after the talks in April between the head of the Office of the President Andrii Yermak and the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Hungary Peter Szijjarto, according to the Ukrainian press release, the parties noted the positive dynamics of the dialogue.
At the same time, one of the EU diplomats believes that Budapest probably wants to "put an end" to the negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the bloc before it begins its six-month presidency of the EU Council in July.
"Ukraine and its supporters in the EU are calling for an intergovernmental conference between Brussels and Kyiv before Hungary takes over the rotating presidency of the EU Council on July 1," the publication says.
It will be recalled that on December 14, the leaders of the EU countries approved the recommendation of the European Commission on the start of negotiations with Ukraine on joining the bloc. This decision was supported by the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, who for a long time stated that his country would block the start of negotiations.
It should be noted that the new Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, called Ukraine not ready to start negotiations on joining the European Union. Despite this, he stated that his country will not block this decision at the EU summit in Brussels.
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