Hungary blocks opening of EU negotiating clusters for Ukraine

At a meeting of the EU Council’s enlargement working group (COELA) on September 1, Hungary blocked Ukraine’s progress toward opening negotiating clusters 2 and 3 on EU accession, refusing to approve the results of their screening.

This was reported by Yevropeyska Pravda, citing sources.

Due to Hungary’s position, the EU Council was unable to make any progress on the matter.

“Everything remained unchanged,” one of the publication’s sources said.

Hungary, as in July, agreed to approve only the screening results for cluster 3 for Moldova. This approach effectively separates Ukraine’s and Moldova’s paths to EU membership.

Earlier, Austria’s Minister for European Affairs, Integration and Family Claudia Bauer stated that Ukraine has no prospect of full EU membership in the coming years due to the ongoing hostilities. According to her, Kyiv still needs to carry out reforms, including in the areas of anti-corruption and the rule of law, and that partial membership through “gradual integration” could be a way forward.

Russia has repeatedly stated that it does not object to Ukraine joining the European Union, describing the EU as an economic rather than a military bloc. In February 2025, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov called Ukraine’s possible EU membership its sovereign right.