Zelenskyy calls on EU to bypass Hungary’s veto blocking Ukraine’s membership bid
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged European Union leaders on Thursday to find a way around Hungary’s continued objections to Ukraine’s EU accession bid, stressing that European integration remains a top priority for Kyiv.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, Zelenskyy called for the opening of all negotiation clusters with the EU under Denmark’s presidency and emphasized the need to overcome Hungary’s veto. “A solution must be found,” he said, following talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, News.Az reports, citing Anadolu Agency.
Zelenskyy also welcomed a new €2 billion ($2.3 billion) EU support package and the creation of the European Flagship Fund for Ukraine’s reconstruction, calling it a key step in attracting investment.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has repeatedly voiced opposition to Ukraine’s accession, citing concerns over admitting a nation still at war.
Zelenskyy held bilateral meetings with several European leaders, including Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whom he thanked for advanced air defense support and help scaling up drone production. He stressed Germany’s key role in unblocking Ukraine’s EU path.
Additional talks with the leaders of Finland, Poland, and Bulgaria focused on defense, energy cooperation, and industrial partnerships. Zelenskyy also highlighted Poland’s critical role as a logistics and transit hub for international aid.
Earlier, he participated in a session of the “Coalition of the Willing,” now joined by U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal and General Keith Kellogg. “The coalition is working, both for long-term security and for protection against Russian strikes right now,” he said.
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