Media: Orban may ease opposition to Ukraine’s EU bid after Trump call

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán could soften his resistance to Ukraine’s accession to the European Union following a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, Politico reported on August 27.

According to the outlet, the timing of Moldova’s entry into the bloc and the opening of a key “negotiation cluster” remain contentious issues in Brussels.

Earlier this month, Politico said EU officials were weighing whether to advance Moldova’s membership process ahead of September’s elections in the country, while holding back on similar steps for Ukraine.

Diplomats told the publication that Trump had persuaded Orbán—long a critic of Ukraine’s EU membership bid but supportive of Moldova’s—to reconsider his stance on Kyiv. “This shift changes the dynamics,” one diplomat was quoted as saying.

A French official added that both Ukraine and Moldova present advantages for enlargement at a time when Kyiv faces extraordinary challenges. Decisions on accession must be taken unanimously by all EU member states.

Two diplomats cited by Politico expressed hope that mounting pressure on Budapest could help break the deadlock over Ukraine’s membership in the coming months.

Ukraine continues to make tangible progress toward EU membership. The EU is working to open all negotiation clusters by the end of 2025, with screening already underway and some clusters already started.

However, President Zelenskyy’s recent move to subordinate key anti-corruption institutions under the prosecutor-general has sparked alarm. Critics warn that this threatens Ukraine’s reform credibility, potentially imperilling both financial aid and EU accession prospects.

In response, Zelenskyy has pledged new legislation to restore the independence of anti-corruption bodies, which the EU welcomed as a vital step for maintaining rule of law and democratic standards essential for accession

By Aghakazim Guliyev