European Council President, Charles Michel, has told the European leaders to attend the bloc’s upcoming summit with a “spirit of compromise” and “sense of collective responsibility.”
EU leaders will gather in Brussels for their final summit of 2023 on Thursday and Friday, December 14 and 15, 2023.
Michel stated, “A pivotal European Council lies ahead of us.”
“Now is the time for decision-making. I call on you all to come equipped with a spirit of compromise, a sense of collective responsibility, with the union’s interests and values at the forefront of your minds.”
Charles Michel
He noted that the bloc needs to live up to its commitments on Ukraine and continue to be a reliable and strong partner.”
He said, “We must provide Ukraine with continued and sustainable political, financial and military support and, in particular, come to an agreement on providing €50bn for its long term stability.
Michel also stated that the leaders have to agree to open accession negotiations with Ukraine, “thereby giving it a necessary signal and bringing it yet closer to our European family”.
This came as Ukraine has increased pressure on the EU to open accession talks at the upcoming summit.
Making a renewed appeal to member state leaders, Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, urged EU countries to recognize that Ukraine has “much to offer” the bloc.
Yermak said, “Values-wise and ideologically, Ukraine is an indisputable part of Europe– which is precisely why Russia attacked us.”
He said, “We want to be part of the EU, and membership is one of the key priorities of our state policy. However, we are aware that willingness alone is not enough.”
“Ukraine has demonstrated the ability to undergo rapid transformation … We are geared towards a highly constructive dialogue regarding accession and count on a similar approach from our partner countries. Without Ukraine, the ‘Europe’ puzzle cannot come together.”
Andriy Yermak
Yermak stressed that having fulfilled all the requirements necessary to initiate accession negotiations with the EU, Ukraine has showcased its dedication to reforms and the European path of development.
“Joining the EU will enable us to progress more rapidly along this path,” he said.
Orban Reasserts Opposition To Accession Talks With Ukraine
However, Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban reiterated his stance that Hungary would block opening accession negotiations with Ukraine.
Speaking in an interview, Orban asserted, “The European Union is getting ready to make a terrible mistake, and they have to be prevented in this – even if 26 want to do this, and only we are opposed.”
“The Hungarian position is that if we want to give Ukraine support, a geopolitical signal, then let’s give – but that’s not membership. Let’s leave membership as what it is,” Orban declared.
The Hungarian Prime Minister stated that opening Ukraine’s path to accession would undermine the bloc’s credibility.
“That’s why I say, take down membership from the agenda, Hungary will insist on that, so that question is not worth seriously debating, that route is closed, because Hungary doesn’t agree to that. But let’s speak sensibly about how within the framework of a strategic partnership let’s give the Ukrainians things in which we geostrategically strengthen them.”
Viktor Orban
The prime minister also said that he did not mix questions of money and principle.
On the issue of Hungary’s frozen EU funds, Orbán underscored that he believed Hungaary was owed the money.
He also hinted Budapest was open to compromising on financial issues.
Asked about the expected release of €10bn in frozen EU funds for Hungary, the European Commission spokesperson, Eric Mamer, told reporters that he could not give an update and that as far as he understands, “we are still waiting for a final step on the side of the Hungarian authorities, after which we will analyse the situation.”
“We will have to see how things unfold,” he said.
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