EU Considers Splitting Ukraine and Moldova's Accession Paths Amid Hungary's Obstruction

The European Union is considering the possibility of separating Ukraine and Moldova in their EU accession processes due to Hungary's opposition to Ukraine's membership talks. This was confirmed by EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, cited by European Pravda.

Kos explained that the EU may move forward with Moldova’s accession process independently as early as June, when several key decisions on enlargement are expected. She emphasized that none of the EU member states object to starting negotiations with Moldova, while Hungary remains the only one opposing progress with Ukraine.

Until now, Moldova and Ukraine had advanced jointly in their EU aspirations. In 2023, all 27 EU member states agreed to begin accession negotiations with both countries. However, no chapters have been opened yet, largely due to Hungary’s obstruction of Ukraine’s talks.

Hungary has introduced several demands, such as greater rights for the Hungarian minority in Ukraine, and has actively politicised the process. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán even publicly opposed Ukraine’s accession in a national consultative vote. Despite Ukraine’s willingness to meet Hungary’s demands, Kos stated that Budapest remains unsatisfied.

Kos expressed concern over the politicisation of Ukraine’s membership bid and said that Moldova has made consistent and strong progress. She described Moldova as a “good student” in the enlargement process and suggested that it could potentially join the EU before her mandate ends in 2029. She added that failing to welcome new members during the current European Commission’s term would be a setback.

Sources cited by European Pravda suggest that Moldova may begin negotiations by opening Cluster 1: Fundamentals, ahead of Ukraine, if Hungary continues to block Kyiv’s path. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has stressed that Ukraine is advancing at a record pace in aligning with EU standards. The European Commission has also confirmed that Ukraine’s screening process is proceeding faster than that of any previous candidate country.