Hungarian Foreign Minister: Ukraine's EU Accession by 2030 Is Not Realistic

Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán said on Thursday, during a visit to the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, that Ukraine's accession to the European Union (EU) by 2030 is not realistic in her view. She also reaffirmed that Budapest supports Kyiv's bid for membership. The question matters because it affects how soon Ukraine, an EU candidate country, could become part of the bloc.

Hungary's position

Orbán told journalists that Hungary strongly supports a merit-based process and believes it shares this view with Lithuania. According to her, all candidate countries must meet the same requirements, so an accelerated accession for Ukraine is ruled out. She stressed that every country must go through the same procedure Hungary went through, and that Budapest does not back any fast-track entry.

At the same time, the minister acknowledged that Ukraine has made significant progress in its accession talks: four of the six negotiating clusters have already been opened. She attributed part of that progress to improved relations between Hungary and Ukraine, as well as an agreement on protecting the rights of the ethnic Hungarian minority in Ukraine's Transcarpathia region.

Lithuania's view

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys expressed greater optimism. He said a target date should be set and that this can and should be done. Budrys said accession by 2030 is theoretically possible if the EU side completes all the required steps fast enough and Ukraine carries out the necessary reforms.