Hungarian PM doubts remaining clusters for Ukraine can be opened urgently

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has voiced scepticism over immediately proceeding with the remaining negotiation clusters in Ukraine's EU accession talks after the first cluster was opened. He made the remarks to journalists ahead of the European Council meeting in Brussels.

Magyar said he was satisfied with the EU Council's decision to open the first cluster with Ukraine but expressed doubts about further progress. "We have questions, and not only us, about whether immediately after opening the first cluster we should without delay begin negotiations on the remaining clusters. This idea is very controversial, frankly speaking, also among other states," he stated.

The prime minister argued that rapid progress in talks with Ukraine "will be a very bad sign for the Western Balkans states." Among Balkan countries currently conducting accession negotiations, only Serbia has not opened all negotiating chapters, though Magyar did not name it directly.

Magyar did not indicate whether Hungary would vote against if the matter came to a vote, nor did he make any demands or conditions toward Ukraine. He expressed scepticism solely on procedural grounds. "In the EU there are those who want to open all clusters immediately; there are those who want to open only two clusters, and I would remind you that we have only just opened the first cluster and the ink is not yet dry," he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expects the remaining five clusters to be opened within weeks. On June 17, the EU Council began technical preparations for opening clusters 2 through 6 for Ukraine and Moldova.