The European Commission has approved Ukraine to start negotiations on EU membership, but Hungary has opposing the idea due to a language law that affects Ukraine’s Hungarian minority. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated that Hungary’s opposition to Ukraine joining the EU is not linked to a funding freeze due to rule of law problems in Hungary, but rather to the language law. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, a member of the European Solidarity Party, believes that the issues are related and sees avenues for further negotiations on the issue of minority language rights. She also believes that this is a matter of diplomacy within the European Union and that there are ways to prevent Hungary from blocking the decision at the December meeting of the European Council. However, she also predicts potential challenges during Hungary’s presidency in the second half of 2024. Klympush-Tsintsadze sees Russian influence in Budapest’s position on opening negotiations with Ukraine on EU accession. Ukraine will prepare a National Program for the preparation of EU membership as recommended by the European Commission. Yevheniya Kravchuk, a member of the president’s party Servant of the People, stated that Ukraine will develop a national program responsible for bringing Ukrainian legislation in line with Europe’s.

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