Hungarian veto

Constructive abstention is not a substitute for the right of a sovereign government to refuse a common position it considers contrary to a vital interest

The breakthrough comes after Hungary lifted its long-standing veto on Ukraine’s EU bid after deal on minority rights

The shift in Budapest’s position is directly tied to Hungary’s parliamentary elections, widely described as one of the most consequential votes in recent European history

Budapest signals possible movement on the €90 billion package, while an EU technical mission still waits in Kyiv for access to the damaged section

Delayed inspection underscores tensions between Ukraine’s security concerns and mounting pressure from Hungary and Slovakia over oil transit

The Hungarian government had dismissed the Washington Post report as “fake news”, but Szijjártó reversed course and openly confirmed the contacts

Other leaders sharply criticized the Hungarian PM, accusing him of leveraging the veto for domestic gain ahead of Hungary's 12 April parliamentary elections

Just 24 hours earlier, European capitals delivered a blunt rebuff to Trump’s repeated calls for allies to deploy naval forces to reopen the Strait of Hormuz

Hungary and Slovakia’s continued dependence on Russian oil has turned a technical infrastructure issue into a major diplomatic standoff

There will be finalisation on the loan to support Ukraine, and this process is going according to plan, Dombrovskis said

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced halting emergency electricity exports to Ukraine starting 24 February, the 4th anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion

Ambassadors in the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) failed to reach full agreement in prior meetings, leaving the final decision to the ministers today