---
title: "Madjar's Veto: Why Hungary Blocks Negotiations with Ukraine Despite Kyiv's Readiness"
description: "Hungary is blocking key stages of Ukraine's negotiations with the EU, despite the European Commission confirming Kyiv's readiness. Experts believe that the new Prime Minister, Péter Márki-Zay, is using the veto as a tool to balance between Brussels and domestic politics, where anti-Ukrainian sentiments persist. 🇺🇦🇭🇺🇪🇺"
date: 2026-08-04T08:44:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/madjar-veto-why-hungary-blocks-negotiations-with-ukraine-despite-kyivs-readiness
tags: [peter-madjar, hungary, ukraine-eu-accession, brussels, veto]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Madjar's Veto: Why Hungary Blocks Negotiations with Ukraine Despite Kyiv's Readiness

![Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto at a press conference discussing veto on negotiations with Ukraine](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/04/veto-madvara-pochemu-vengriya-blokirovet-peregovory-s-ukrainoy/veto-madvara-pochemu-vengriya-blokirovet-peregovory-s-ukrainoy-1.webp)

Ukraine's accession process to the European Union has encountered a new obstacle that, it turns out, has nothing to do with the quality of preparation on the Ukrainian side. Hungary continues to block the opening of key negotiation clusters, using this as a tool in bilateral political maneuvering. Despite the European Commission confirming Kyiv's full readiness for negotiations, Budapest is putting forward its own conditions.

### Technical Readiness vs. Political Ambitions

According to official data from the European Commission, screening results confirm that Ukraine is fully ready to begin negotiations on the relevant directions. It is important to note that the Hungarian side has not publicly voiced any objections regarding the technical readiness of the Ukrainian side. Nevertheless, it is Budapest that keeps the opening of two major negotiation blocks in limbo.

Experts point out that blocking these sections has become a hostage to the complex bilateral relations between the countries. This is not just a bureaucratic delay, but an element of Hungary's overall strategy regarding Ukraine's European integration, which, according to analysts, is aimed at slowing down the process.

### Evolution of Position: From Orbán to Madjar

The history of negotiations with Hungary has its own peculiarities. Under the government of Viktor Orbán, the negotiation process was completely blocked — Ukraine could not even open the first, basic cluster. The situation began to change after the elections and the rise to power of the new Prime Minister, Péter Márki-Zay (Madjar).

Thanks to technical consultations on the rights of the Hungarian minority, Budapest agreed to open Cluster 1. Subsequently, Hungary yielded on Cluster 6, concerning external relations. Experts suggest that this decision may have been influenced by the unblocking of €16.4 billion in frozen EU funds for Hungary, although official sides deny this.

### The New Prime Minister's "Golden Mean" Strategy

Despite partial concessions, the new Hungarian government refuses to consent to the opening of Clusters 2 and 3. According to expert Snezhana Dyachenko, Hungary's position can be interpreted as an attempt by Péter Márki-Zay to find a balance between resuming a constructive dialogue with Brussels and maintaining an internal government stance opposed to Ukraine's accelerated accession to the EU.

Analysts emphasize that, although the new government appears more conciliatory, Márki-Zay cannot be called a pro-Ukrainian politician. Even during the election campaign, he spoke out against Ukraine's speedy accession to the European Union.

### The Domestic Factor

The internal situation in Hungary also plays an important role in decision-making. High anti-Ukrainian sentiments persist among the population, which the opposition could exploit. By maintaining a veto on certain stages of negotiations, the new Prime Minister tries to avoid domestic political criticism and maintain the loyalty of his electoral base.

As the Financial Times wrote, Márki-Zay's team demands that the procedure for Ukraine's accession to the European Union not be accelerated. According to journalists, Budapest's recent actions indicate the Hungarian authorities' unwillingness to completely abandon their previous policy towards Kyiv, even with a change in leadership.