EU has alternative plans if Hungary vetoes Ukraine's accession, Kallas says
The EU would like to secure unanimous support, but it has alternative plans if Hungary vetoes Ukraine's accession to the bloc, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on May 9.
"We have a plan B and a plan C. But our focus is plan A, the essence of which is to get everyone's support," Kallas reporters in a visit to Lviv.
Hungarian Prime Minister has been a vocal critic of President Volodymyr Zelensky and has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin. Orban on April 22 publicly shared photos of himself marking "against" on a ballot in a national poll opposing Ukraine's accession to the EU.
" has its own homework, and the EU also has to do its homework... we are working with the Hungarian government," Kallas said.
Hungarian officials have repeatedly threatened to undermine Ukraine's EU candidacy and EU support for Ukraine. Hungary has repeatedly blocked or delayed EU aid packages for Kyiv.
"But if that doesn't work, we're already working on a plan B, but I won't reveal it. We're still in the process," said.
European officials have denounced Hungary for aligning with Russia. European officials, including Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, have suggested stripping Hungary of its voting power within the bloc.
"The accession process, or as we call it, the reunification process, is important not only for Ukraine, but also for the European Union," Kallas said.
Hungary maintains positive relations with Russia in contrast with other EU members. On March 26, Hungarian Foreign Minister visited Moscow to discuss continued between the two countries.
"Article 7 of the Treaty on provides for the possibility of withdrawing a member state's voting rights if membership endangers the security of Europe and that of the other members.... that's exactly what (Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor) Orban is doing," Tsahkna said in an interview released on April 5.
Read also: 5 things Putin conveniently left out of his Victory Day speech in Moscow
We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Wall Street Journal
an hour ago
- Wall Street Journal
U.S., EU Near Deal on Non-Tariff Trade Irritants
The U.S. and European Union appear to be nearing a deal on multiple non-tariff trade issues from deforestation rules to the treatment of U.S. tech companies in Europe—but the fate of looming tariffs set to be imposed by each trading partner remains unclear. A draft 'agreement on reciprocal trade' circulated by the U.S. Trade Representative's office lays out tentative deals on a litany of specific trade issues, including the EU's Digital Markets Act, its carbon-based border tariffs, shipbuilding and more, according to people with knowledge of the text, who said the agreement appeared to be close to final but emphasized it could change in the coming days and weeks.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
US base defense in the era of large-scale drone attacks
Ukraine's Operation Spider's Web wasn't just a brazen attack on Russia; it was a wake-up call for the United States. On June 1st, the Security Service of Ukraine (or SBU) carried out their mission, targeting four Russian airbases housing strategic bombers like the Tu-95 and Tu-22. Using small quadcopter drones that were assembled inside Russia and placed in modified roof compartments of shipping containers, they managed to eliminate at least 13 Russian aircraft, including several nuclear-capable bombers, and damage many others. This amounts to about 34% of their strategic bomber fleet destroyed in an incredibly short amount of time, an insurmountable loss. Ukraine didn't use any advanced technology or weapons. The drones used were small and built with commercially available parts. They were piloted, at least initially, by Ardupilot, an open-source software used by drone hobbyists to navigate drones autonomously. Using Russia's own 4G cellular networks, drone pilots, safe in Ukraine, flew the quadcopters the last meters to their targets. According to Ukrainian officials, everybody involved in the operation was safely out of Russia by the time it took place. The success of the operation and its relative simplicity have brought to the forefront concerns over how the United States would defend itself against a similar attack. While U.S. bases overseas have weapons capable of defending, at least partially, from small drones, many in the homeland do not. In our latest video, we break down how Ukraine pulled off Spider's Web, what that means for the United States, and what military leaders are doing to prepare for similar attacks. A Marine Corps reply-all email apocalypse has an incredible real-life ending Army shuts down its sole active-duty information operations command Army plans to close more than 20 base museums in major reduction Former Green Beret nominated to top Pentagon position to oversee special ops The Navy's new recruiting commercial puts the 'dirt wars' in the past


Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
Trump Says Spain Has to Pay as NATO Seeks Deal on Spending
By Updated on Save NATO allies are pressing Spain to sign on to a stepped-up defense spending target and end a holdout that US President Donald Trump portrayed as unacceptable. Ahead of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit starting Tuesday that Trump is scheduled to attend, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is the only leader who's outright opposed to the proposal to raise outlays to 5% of gross domestic product.