Hungary ready to lift veto on two negotiating clusters for Ukraine with the EU

Hungary may stop blocking the opening of new negotiating clusters for Ukraine, but Budapest has put forward a condition related to the rights of national minorities.

This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the Financial Times.

Hungary is expected to lift its veto this week at the technical stage of Ukraine’s EU accession process. Brussels hopes this will allow another significant step forward in Kyiv’s negotiations with the European Union before the end of the month.

According to two officials, Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has instructed Hungarian diplomats not to block the sending of letters to Ukraine and Moldova regarding the possible opening of the next two negotiating clusters. These cover areas related to the internal market and competitiveness policy. The matter is to be discussed at working meetings this week.

Sources familiar with the matter described the move as procedural but also symbolic. In their assessment, it may signal Budapest’s readiness to stop blocking the advancement of Ukraine’s and Moldova’s negotiations at this stage.

What condition Hungary has put forward

Hungary’s agreement to the technical advancement of the negotiations does not yet mean full political support for opening the clusters. According to the Financial Times, Budapest’s final position will depend on whether the Verkhovna Rada passes a bill on October 12 expanding educational opportunities for national minorities.

The rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine have long been one of the key issues for Budapest in its relations with Kyiv. The bill, according to the publication, was drafted taking into account proposals and comments from Hungarian officials. Its adoption could become a condition for Hungary’s full political support for Ukraine’s further progress in negotiations with the EU.

If the Verkhovna Rada approves the document, the official political process of opening new clusters could begin before the EU leaders’ summit in Brussels, scheduled ten days after the vote.

“Ukraine’s accession path is taking clear shape, with process and realism being observed,” an EU official familiar with the discussions with Budapest noted.

RBC-Ukraine previously reported that the EU is considering granting candidate countries broader access to the single market before their full accession to the bloc. In parallel, the European Commission is working on changes that could limit the ability of individual countries to block common EU decisions — a reform that could potentially simplify the process of further enlarging the bloc, including through Ukraine’s accession.