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Ukrainian Deputy PM: Hungary Can’t Legally Block Ukraine’s EU Accession Talks
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna has stated that Hungary does not have the legal authority to block the launch of accession negotiations between Ukraine and the European Union.
In an interview with Ukrainian broadcast channel Fakty ICTV on July 23, Stefanishyna emphasized that EU foundational treaties do not require unanimous consent from all 27 member states to begin formal talks.
“There was a meeting involving President Zelenskyy, the Prime Minister of Denmark, and the two presidents of the European institutions. And accordingly, we now clearly understand that unanimity is not required to open negotiations — a decision by all 27 (member states) is not necessary,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
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According to Stefanishyna, the existing EU legal framework only requires a unanimous vote when concluding negotiations or closing individual chapters—not at the initial stage.
She noted that Hungary’s attempt to block the first negotiating cluster with Ukraine prompted a broader institutional review.
Stefanishyna explained that Hungary’s political obstructionism, which undermines the EU’s ambitions by blocking decisions, had triggered a process of analysis and solution-seeking.
She pointed out that it had become clear neither the Treaty on the European Union nor decisions made by the European Parliament or the European Council require unanimous approval. According to her, unanimity is only necessary for concluding negotiations or closing specific areas.
In light of these developments, Stefanishyna said that Ukraine will continue diplomatic outreach and technical coordination with member states to ensure progress.
“Denmark, in particular, is taking a principled and proactive position,” she noted. “They’re committed to protecting procedural integrity and fairness within the Union.”
Earlier, Denmark committed to applying maximum pressure on Hungary to remove its objections to Ukraine’s EU accession talks, as it assumes the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.
-111f0e5095e02c02446ffed57bfb0ab1.jpeg "Photo of Roman Kohanets")