Ukraine is on its way to the EU, unless Orban stops in Hungary.

Opening the door to membership in the European Union for Ukraine. This is after the heavy trio of Germany, France and Italy On Thursday he visited Kyiv They told President Volodymyr Zelensky that they believed Ukraine should be allowed to become a candidate country.

The European Commission confirmed the direction of travel on Friday. Wearing a blue shirt and yellow jacket, President Ursula von der Leyen explained the conditions that must be associated with a country that obtains this status.

Among other things, it is about:

● Improving the judiciary to guarantee the principles of the rule of law.

● Intensifying the fight against corruption.

● Introducing legislation that guarantees the rights of minorities.

Ursula von der Leyen pointed out that During a press conference, Ukraine has included a large part of the EU’s gains in its legislation, but the Commission wants to see that it is really implemented.

Moldova should also be granted candidate status, according to her, while Georgia is not really there yet.

The final declaration on the position of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia in the EU will come in the middle of summer, when the 27 EU heads of state and government meet in Brussels.

Because he was hesitant before France and Germany have now given the green light, and other countries will follow suit. Sweden belongs to them. On Friday, Foreign Minister Anne Linde announced that Sweden supports Ukraine to become a candidate country.

https://twitter.com/AnnLinde/status/1537720918499373057

Central and Eastern European countries strongly support Ukraine’s efforts to become a member of the European Union. Question marks are found throughout the country – Hungary.

The relationship between Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Viktor Orban is cold, in part because Hungary refuses to allow arms shipments to Ukraine to pass through Hungarian territory.

Zelensky called the system in Budapest one name The Russian branch that divides the European Union from within. For its part, Hungary accused Ukraine of trying to influence the Hungarian elections in April.

Hungarian Foreign Minister She admittedly said in March that she considered Ukraine a candidate country. It is unclear if it will still be in effect next week. Recently, the regime of Viktor Orban has been behaving increasingly volatile.

For example, after lengthy negotiations, Orban finally agreed to the latest package of sanctions against Russia. But when the EU ambassadors officially decided on this, Hungary unexpectedly demanded that the Supreme Leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill (former KGB agent), be removed from the sanctions list.

When EU finance ministers were to give the green light to a global minimum tax on companies on Friday, Hungary abruptly refused, despite no previous objections.

An official within the authority For the enlargement of the European Union, Hungarian Oliver Varheli, loyal to Orbán. Although Varheli stood by Ursula von der Leyen at the press conference and justified why Ukraine should be a candidate country, it should not be ruled out that Orbán would do what Erdogan did at NATO and throw pebbles at the machines in the middle of summer. That would make Russian President Vladimir Putin happy.

Whatever the outcome of the midsummer summit, there is a long and hard way for Ukraine and Moldova to take the next important step – opening membership negotiations. Becoming a candidate country has no practical significance, but it is a strong symbolic and political sign where these countries belong: so from large parts of the European Union, the message now is: Welcome to the European Union, Ukraine and Moldova!

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