Fly in the ointment

NEW YORK: Hungarian PM Viktor Orban recently vetoed a big European Union aid package for Kyiv, and remarked he could still halt Ukraine’s accession after EU leaders approved the initiating of lengthy membership talks.

The leaders of all 27 states in the EU except Hungary agreed at a summit last week to start accession talks with Ukraine despite Russia’s invasion of its neighbour, bypassing Orban’s grievances by getting him to leave the room. However, the bloc could not overcome resistance from the right-wing leader to a revamp of the EU budget to set aside 50 billion euros to Ukraine and provide more cash for challenges such as migration management.

The Kremlin praised its Hungarian cheerleader, while saving its barbs for the EU, pointing out that opening membership talks was a politicised issue that could destabilise the bloc. Orban opined that the regime in Ukraine is beset by corruption and that it is not yet ready for EU membership.

The strongman believes Kyiv should first serve as a strategic partner of the EU for some time before membership talks can begin.

Orban has a history of using disagreements with other EU leaders to serve his electoral benefit. His intent behind blocking the aid package, which was part of a broader EU budget plan, was to ensure that Budapest obtains funds from the EU budget.

These funds were frozen over concerns pertaining to EU norms on law and order, and judicial independence that had been violated in Hungary.

A day before the summit, the EU released 10 billion euros of frozen funds to Budapest – a measure that was seen as bending over backward, in line with Orban’s coercion.

Ukraine is unlikely to join the EU for many years, as a nation has to fulfil several governance-related requirements to be a member. Barring the six founding members of the bloc, it took an average of nine years for each of the other 21 members to come on board the EU.

Ukraine’s membership will be cleared only once it’s approved by the Parliaments of all EU nations, including that of Hungary.

EU leaders would prefer a deal that has been backed by all its members. There is also a plan B if Orban refuses to relent. It will be a tedious process that could delay the disbursement of funds to Kyiv wracked by the assault of a relentless Moscow, whose forces would continue to strengthen its presence at the frontline.

The bloc leaders are expected to revisit the accession issue at an emergency summit to be convened early next year.

As far as Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is concerned, the developments are more of a cause for anxiety as battle fatigue has begun to erode the West’s support for Kyiv’s resistance to Moscow’s might.

A significant number of Republican lawmakers in Ukraine’s strongest ally, Washington, have reached the end of their tether, on the back of Kyiv’s mounting military losses.

Embittered by their experiences from the War on Terror and the Afghan pull-out, American politicians are growing skeptical about channeling taxpayer dollars into a conflict that they cannot win.

In the absence of America’s generosity, Zelenskyy must depend on the political backing of the EU, NATO, and other groupings to secure financial and military aid. The decision made at the recent summit took it one step closer to its long-term strategic goal of anchoring itself in the West and leaving Moscow’s orbit.