Zelensky Urges Trump to Pressure Hungary Over EU Veto

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that during his meeting with former US President Donald Trump on Monday, he requested that the US leader pressure Hungary to drop its veto blocking Kyiv’s bid to join the European Union.

Background

• Ukraine’s EU Application: Submitted shortly after Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
• Hungary’s Position: Nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban has repeatedly vetoed Ukraine’s accession talks.

Zelensky told journalists, including AFP, on Thursday:“I asked President Trump that Budapest should not block our accession to the European Union. President Trump promised that his team would work on this.”

Hungary, considered Moscow’s closest ally in the EU, has argued that:

• Allowing Ukraine to join the EU poses security risks
• Admitting Ukraine while it is at war could drag Budapest into conflict with Russia

Ukraine has dismissed these concerns as baseless, with Zelensky asserting: “It is absolutely fair that Ukraine wants to join the European Union… This is our sovereign right.”

Relations between Ukraine and Hungary have worsened significantly since the Russian invasion:

Zelensky’s request to Trump highlights Ukraine’s ongoing struggle to secure European integration while navigating political resistance from Hungary.

The move also underscores the wider geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe, where EU membership is seen as a security and sovereignty safeguard for Ukraine amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia.