The European Union has scaled back its plans for Ukraine’s membership talks after renewed resistance from Hungary slowed progress, highlighting deep divisions within the bloc over enlargement, according to Euro News.
Instead of opening all five remaining negotiation areas at once, EU officials now aim to begin talks on just two sections before the summer break. These include areas related to external relations and the internal market, while the rest will be addressed gradually in the coming months.
Ukraine and Moldova, whose applications are being considered together, recently opened the first stage of negotiations after a long delay caused by Hungary’s earlier veto. However, Budapest has again held up progress by refusing to approve the next steps required to move forward.
Although the dispute is largely procedural, it reflects broader concerns within Hungary about the pace of Ukraine’s path toward EU membership. Hungarian leaders argue that opening all negotiation areas quickly would amount to fast-tracking Ukraine’s entry, a claim rejected by many other EU countries, which see the process as long and complex regardless of timing.
The European Commission had previously said Ukraine was technically ready to begin negotiations across all areas. It had even set July as a target to move forward on all fronts, a goal supported by Kyiv.
But facing opposition, EU leaders have softened their stance. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently said the goal is now to open “more clusters” before the summer, without committing to the earlier, more ambitious timeline.
Hungary’s new prime minister, Péter Magyar, has played a key role in reshaping the pace of talks. While he lifted a previous veto to allow initial negotiations to begin, he has since resisted any rapid expansion of the process. He has also argued that speeding up Ukraine’s bid could send the wrong message to countries in the Western Balkans, which have spent years working toward EU membership.
Hungarian officials have further pointed to unresolved issues, including the rights of ethnic Hungarian minorities in Ukraine, as a reason for caution.
Despite the slowdown, Ukraine remains eager to move ahead. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his country is ready to open all remaining negotiation areas and push forward quickly.
For now, however, Ukraine’s path to EU membership appears set to proceed more slowly, shaped by political realities within the union itself.
