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The Baltic and Nordic states have urged the European Union to urgently formulate a clear roadmap for Ukraine to become a full member of the bloc amid growing concerns that Hungary is seeking to undermine Kyiv’s chances.
Politico reported this with reference to a joint letter signed by senior diplomats from Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, Ukrinform reported.
“Reaffirming full and unequivocal commitment to the EU membership perspective of Ukraine, we call for accelerating the accession process,” the message reads. “The time has come for ambitious and effective decisions in this regard.”
The diplomats called on Brussels to come up with “concrete proposals on how to decisively advance Ukraine’s accession process”.
While European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has publicly stated that Ukraine could join the bloc by 2030, the signatories of the letter now want the Union to take steps to ensure this target is met.
“Ukraine has shown a remarkable reform progress — now it is time for us to mobilize the efforts to help Ukraine make this happen,” the letter says.
It is noted that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has consistently opposed Ukraine’s admission to the 27-nation bloc, and his diplomats in Brussels have consistently raised objections during negotiations aimed at strengthening Kyiv’s institutions and ensuring economic and political coordination.
Earlier this month, the populist Hungarian leader announced a consultative nationwide poll regarding the public stance on Ukraine’s EU accession.
In a list of 12 demands to Brussels, published last week, he said the EU should be “a union, but without Ukraine.”
As Ukrinform reported earlier, during a press conference following the EU Foreign Affairs Council, the Minister for European Affairs of the Polish presidency of the EU, Adam Szlapka, said the European Commission and the EU Council would work intensively on Ukraine’s accession to the EU, despite Hungary’s intention to delay the process and hold an internal referendum on whether Hungarians consider Ukraine’s membership of the European Union possible.
