Associated Press: Hungary to oppose EU membership talks with Ukraine, minister says

Hungary will not support any European Union proposal to begin EU membership talks with Ukraine, said Gergely Gulyas, the chief of staff to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, according to Associated Press. Gulyas said it was too early to begin formal talks with Kyiv, adding that Hungary would not consent to opening the discussions at the EU leaders summit in mid-December. He also stated Hungary would not support proposed amendments to the EU’s budget, part of which would provide 50 billion euros ($54.5 billion) in long-term aid to Kyiv. In November, the EU’s executive arm recommended allowing Ukraine to open membership talks once it makes the reforms needed to enter the bloc. However, Orbán, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies in Europe, has argued that accession negotiations should not begin with a country that is at war. He also stressed that Ukraine’s membership would make changes in the system the 27-nation European Union uses to distribute funds to member countries. Read more:

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