- Category
- Latest news
Moldova May Advance EU Accession Ahead of Ukraine Due to Hungary’s Block
- Authors
![Maryna_kulakova]( "Photo of Maryna Kulakova")
-924c3c302c27387e19f6c44aaeb98745.png "Photo of Maryna Kulakova")
The European Union is considering separating Moldova from Ukraine in the accession process due to Hungary’s ongoing blockage of Kyiv’s efforts to join, European Union Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, said in an interview with Radio Free Europe on April 29.
The EU initially saw Moldova and Ukraine as progressing together in their accession process. Ukraine applied for membership in February 2022, followed by Moldova. While EU member states approved the start of negotiations with both countries, no negotiation chapters have been opened yet.
Kos does not rule out a "separation" of the two countries at a meeting in Brussels in June, where several decisions related to EU enlargement will be made. This is already under discussion because no member state opposes opening the first cluster of negotiation chapters with Moldova.
Hungary has blocked negotiations with Ukraine, citing several concerns, including requests to strengthen the rights of the Hungarian minority. As the EU requires unanimous decision-making, Hungary can prevent Ukraine from moving forward in the process for as long as it chooses.
Kos suggested that Moldova could join the EU by the end of her mandate in 2029. She noted that if no new member state joins the EU during the current European Commission’s tenure, it would be considered a "failure."
Kos also expressed regret that Hungary, under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has turned Ukraine’s EU accession into a political issue. Budapest even organized a symbolic referendum, with Orbán’s party, Fidesz, opposing Ukraine’s EU membership.
"Ukraine has done enough, I can say from my own experience, as we facilitated dialogue between Hungary and Ukraine," Kos said.
She added that Hungary has proposed many negotiation points, and Ukraine is ready to meet all of them, but for Budapest, this is still not enough.
Previously, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Moldova declared three Russian embassy staff members persona non grata, accusing them of actions incompatible with their diplomatic status.
