Overview

• Hungary’s prime minister rejected changing EU enlargement procedures and restated opposition to Ukraine’s membership, proposing a non‑membership “strategic agreement.”
• Budapest is maintaining its veto on opening the initial “Foundations” negotiating cluster in Ukraine’s accession talks.
• An EU official said Council President António Costa has explored with leaders whether chapter openings could proceed by qualified majority to work around a veto, though the idea remains preliminary.
• Denmark’s Europe minister Marie Bjerre urged Ukraine to keep advancing rule‑of‑law and anti‑corruption reforms without waiting for formal chapter openings, calling EU inaction a strategic and moral mistake.
• The European Commission, through Enlargement Commissioner Marta Koss, signaled close monitoring of the independence of NABU and the Specialised Anti‑Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.