The European Union decided Thursday to open accession talks with Ukraine, a stunning reversal for the warring nation that has struggled to find the support needed for its membership aspirations and has long faced opposition from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
European Council President Charles Michel, who chaired the Brussels summit of 27 EU leaders where the decision was made, described it as “a clear signal of hope for their people and our continent.”
Although the process between opening negotiations and Ukraine finally becoming a member could take years, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the deal as “a victory for Ukraine. Victory for all of Europe.”
“History is created by those who tirelessly fight for freedom,” Zelensky said.
Left on the agenda for the current summit is a promise to give Ukraine money and the means to deter Russian aggression, another agenda held by Orban.
The Hungarian leader attended the summit vowing to block plans by his 26 fellow leaders to officially declare that membership talks with Ukraine can begin, and more urgently, to deny Kyiv 50 billion euros ($54 billion) in much-needed financial aid. to survive.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the deal as a “victory for Ukraine.” PRESS SERVICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE/AFP via Getty Images
“The European Union will make a terrible mistake and they must be stopped – even if 26 of them want to do it, and we are the only ones against it,” Orban said in comments released by his office Thursday. “This is a mistake, we are destroying the European Union.”
EU leaders had expected the summit to last at least until late Friday before any sort of breakthrough was likely, so the fateful announcement came unexpectedly after Orban did not block his colleagues’ moves.
A beaming Michel descended on the press room of the unscheduled summit and said “This is a historic moment, and it shows the credibility of the European Union. The strength of the European Union. The decision has been made.”
Ukraine faced strong opposition from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. AFP via Getty Images
He said the negotiations will be opened before a report is made to the leaders in March.
“It is important that no member state will oppose this decision,” Michel said, adding that he was confident a consensus could be found on the financial aid.
The shock comes at a bad time for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, fresh from a trip to Washington where his pleas for more help from the US Congress fell on deaf ears.
“Ukraine will not stand without support and continued support from the European Union and the US,” Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has warned. “Besides, he added “well, Putin will win.”
French President Emmanuel Macron lobbied Orban to change his mind. AFP via Getty Images
The urgency to find a solution is matched only by the potential blow to the EU’s credibility, Zelensky said in a video address to leaders.
“Nobody wants Europe to be seen as untrustworthy. Or because he can’t make a decision, he prepares himself,” he said.
Referring to Putin, he added, “Don’t give him this first – and only – victory of the year. Europe must win, the agreement must be respected.”
“No matter what” is the EU’s relentless mantra of support, leaders are dressed in Ukraine’s yellow and sky blue, and countless speeches end with chants of “Slava Ukraine!” — “Glory to Ukraine!”
And again, against the odds, the EU won.
European Council President Charles Michel made a statement to the media on the opening of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova during the EU summit in Brussels. AP
The EU, a group of 27 countries that still values their independence in strategic issues and foreign affairs, works unanimously on most issues related to Ukraine.
Orban is seen by many as Putin’s foot in the door, Putin’s wrecking ball to demolish EU support for Zelensky.
Even ahead of the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have sidelined Orban in an effort to get him to change his mind.
“It is important that a clear signal of support is sent here – a signal aimed at the brave Ukrainians, who are defending their country, but a signal also aimed at the Russian president,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.
Zelensky urged the EU not to give “victory” to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Getty Images The move comes as Ukraine continues to oppose Russian encroachment on its territory. AFP via Getty Images
Orban has complained about corruption in Ukraine and has demanded a “strategic discussion” about the country’s future in Europe as the war with Russia eases and concerns grow about the type of administration that might emerge in Washington after the US election in a year.
Orban has been at loggerheads with his fellow EU leaders for years, from fights over COVID-19 recovery money to his declining respect for the Western democratic principles at the heart of the EU. But as the EU’s longest-serving leader, he knows how to play in the summit room like few others and has been able to extract financial concessions time and again to prop up his struggling economy.
The EU relented on Wednesday and gave Hungary access to more than 10 billion euros ($11 billion) in funds that had been frozen by the European Commission over concerns that a democratic backsliding by Orban could put the bloc’s principles at risk.
The commission said it did so after Budapest had made the necessary concessions on the principle of the rule of law and denied it was a bargaining chip.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
