Key facts
- Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is seeking support from Hungary and Poland for EU accession.
- Zelenskyy stated Ukraine has fulfilled all conditions set by the EU for negotiation clusters.
- Hungary's Prime Minister Péter Magyar has raised concerns about Ukraine's accession timeline.
- Poland's opposition stems from a military unit naming dispute related to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
- Zelenskyy emphasized that EU accession should be based on established rules, not political emotions.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Hungary and Poland to support Ukraine's accession to the European Union, emphasizing that the process should be guided by established rules rather than political emotions. Speaking at the start of Ireland's EU Council presidency, Zelenskyy asserted that Ukraine has completed all necessary steps to open the remaining negotiation clusters.
However, Ukraine's ambitious timeline faces significant hurdles. Hungary's new Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, has voiced reservations about Kyiv's accession process, tempering expectations for a swift breakthrough. Simultaneously, relations between Ukraine and Poland have been strained by Zelenskyy's decision to name a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), an organization associated with historical massacres of Poles. A recent poll indicates that 60% of Polish citizens oppose Ukraine's EU membership.
Zelenskyy acknowledged historical difficulties with Poland but stressed the need for unity against Russian expansionism. He suggested a willingness to resolve the dispute over the UPA, noting that "Now we have one aggressor." Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin commented that bilateral issues have previously complicated accession, citing examples from the Western Balkans, and expressed hope for progress under Ireland's presidency.
Ireland has prioritized EU enlargement during its six-month term. The current realistic objective in Brussels is to open one or two accession clusters before the summer break, with further progress expected gradually thereafter.