---
title: "\"In one month, we achieved what hadn't been resolved for 10 years\": Ukrainian Ambassador to Hungary reports breakthrough on EU accession clusters"
description: "Ukrainian Ambassador to Hungary Shandor reported that in one month of work by the expert commission, the parties moved forward disputes that had not been resolved for almost ten years, opening two out of six EU accession clusters."
date: 2026-08-21T06:40:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukraine-hungary-eu-clusters-progress
tags: [ukraine, hungary, eu-accession, fidesz, orban, diplomacy]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# "In one month, we achieved what hadn't been resolved for 10 years": Ukrainian Ambassador to Hungary reports breakthrough on EU accession clusters

![Flag of Hungary against the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest — context of Ukraine's EU accession talks](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/21/ukraina-vengriya-es-klasteri-progress/ukraina-vengriya-es-klasteri-progress-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- In one month of work by the expert advisory commission on 11 issues, Ukraine and Hungary moved forward disputes that had not been resolved for almost 10 years (since 2017).
- Out of six negotiation clusters for EU accession, two are open — the first (opened on June 15) and the sixth "external relations" (unblocked in early July); four remain blocked.
- Hungary's veto on the sanctions track and restrictions on Ukrainian media has been effectively lifted; the resumption of commissions that have not worked since 2008, 2017, and 2020 is being worked out.
- Ambassador Shandor pointed to the factor of the mood of Hungarian society: 2.5 million voters supported Fidesz, and myths about persecution were created around the topic of the Hungarian community in Ukraine.

Although four out of six negotiation clusters for Ukraine's EU accession remain blocked, there is a noticeable positive trend in the dialogue with Budapest. This was stated by Ukraine's Ambassador to Hungary, Fedor Shandor, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine. He emphasized that in just one month of work by the expert advisory commission on the so-called 11 issues, progress was made that had been unachievable for nearly a decade. According to him, the parties have already taken concrete steps to resolve problematic issues and establish a full-fledged dialogue, while the pace of work by the Hungarian side was described by the ambassador as "restless": experts are reviewing the agenda, and what is clear to them is immediately sent for approval.

### Breakthrough after decades of stagnation

The key marker of progress is the timeline. Shandor recalled that since 2017, the parties had "sat down and solved nothing," whereas in the last month, the expert advisory commission on the 11 issues achieved results that were unattainable in almost ten years. In the ambassador's assessment, this indicates mutual openness to dialogue and a real intention to resolve problematic issues. Specifically: on June 15, Ukraine opened the first of the six negotiation clusters, and in early July, Hungary unblocked the sixth cluster — "external relations" — marking the first serious breakthrough after a long blockade by Budapest. Thus, out of six clusters, two are currently open — the first and the sixth — with four remaining ahead.

### What exactly has moved forward

In addition to the clusters, progress is being recorded in related tracks. Shandor emphasized that Hungary has not opposed the introduction of sanctions for a long time — the veto on this front has been effectively lifted. Restrictions on Ukrainian media resources have also been lifted, and the resumption of work of commissions that have not functioned since 2020, 2017, and even 2008 is currently being worked out. The ambassador added that the basic first cluster is open, plus the sixth, and expressed hope that "we will see more pleasant actions this year that will surprise us in a positive sense," while cautioning against "getting ahead of ourselves".

### Mood of Hungarian society as a factor

An important context, the ambassador noted, is the factor of the mood of Hungarian society, which must be taken into account in negotiations. Shandor recalled that 2.5 million voters voted for the Fidesz party, meaning that the narratives and appeals of this party worked. Moreover, questions regarding the status of the Hungarian community in Ukraine have been raised for too long, and a huge number of myths were created around the topic of alleged persecution, which in fact did not exist. It is these social and information barriers, he said, that have long slowed down progress, and overcoming them has become part of the achieved progress.

### Contradictory data

Here it is important to distinguish between different objects of veto to avoid creating a false impression of a complete lifting of blockades. Ambassador Shandor speaks of a "de facto lifting of the veto" in the context of the sanctions track, work with Ukrainian media, and the unblocking of clusters (the first and sixth). However, on certain financial decisions, Budapest's position may remain hard: in March 2026, according to RFI, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán maintained a veto on allocating a credit package of €90 billion to Ukraine before the EU summit, despite a number of concessions on other issues. Thus, progress in the cluster and sanctions agenda is not equivalent to the automatic lifting of all forms of blockades: four clusters remain frozen, and individual financial decisions remain a subject of separate bargaining. The difference in versions here is not a contradiction of facts, but a different scope: the veto has been lifted on one set of issues, while on another — it has been retained.

### Outlook: four clusters ahead

The result of the current stage can be formulated as follows: out of six EU accession clusters, two are open, four remain blocked, but the trajectory itself has changed from a long-term stagnation regime to a regime of active work by expert commissions. According to the ambassador, the key indicator was not so much the number of open clusters as the speed and quality of dialogue — in one month, what had not been possible for almost a decade was achieved. Further dynamics will depend on whether it is possible to maintain this pace, overcome the remaining socio-political barriers in Hungary, and translate the achieved expert agreements into the format of official decisions on the remaining four clusters during 2026.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Hungary is gradually lifting the veto, but four clusters are still blocked, - Ambassador Shandor](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ugorshchina-potrohu-znimae-veto-ta-chotiri-1787294166.html) - Первичный источник интервью: за месяц по 11 вопросам сделано то, что не решалось ~10 лет; открыты 1-й и 6-й кластеры, 4 заблокированы; снято вето по санкциям и медиа; 2,5 млн голосов за Фидес.
- [Ukraine and Hungary moved forward long-standing disputes: Ambassador Shandor speaks of progress](https://ru.slovoidilo.ua/2026/08/21/novost/mir/ukraina-i-vengriya-sdvinuli-mesta-mnogoletnie-spory-posol-shandor-rasskazal-progresse) - Вторичное подтверждение тех же тезисов интервью (дата публикации 21.08.2026), согласуется с основным текстом.
- [Before the EU summit, Orbán maintains veto on €90bn loan to Ukraine despite concessions...](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B0/20260318-%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B4-%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BC-%D0%B5%D1%81-%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B1%D0%B0%D0%BD-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%85%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%8F%D0%B5%D1%82-%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BE-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B8%D1%82-%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B5-%D0%B2-90-%D0%BC%D0%BB%D1%80%D0%B4-%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE-%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BC%D0%BE%D1%82%D1%80%D1%8F-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D1%83%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%BF%D0%BA%D0%B8-%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D0%BE-%D0%B4%D1%80%D1%83%D0%B6%D0%B1%D0%B5) - Контекст/оговорка: по финансовому треку (кредит 90 млрд) вето сохранялось (март 2026), что не тождественно снятию вето по кластерам/санкциям; использовано в разделе «Противоречивые данные».
- [Kos responded regarding the deprivation of Ukraine's veto right in the EU](https://korrespondent.net/world/4886617-kos-otvetyla-po-povodu-lyshenyia-ukrayny-prava-veto-v-es) - Подтверждено по источнику korrespondent.net

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: How many EU accession clusters for Ukraine are already open?
**A:** Out of six clusters, two are open — the first (opened on June 15) and the sixth "external relations" (unblocked by Hungary in early July). Four clusters remain blocked.

### Q: What exactly was achieved in the last month?
**A:** According to Ambassador Shandor, in one month of work by the expert advisory commission on 11 issues, the parties resolved what had not been possible for almost 10 years (since 2017). Also, the veto on the sanctions track and restrictions on Ukrainian media have been effectively lifted, and the resumption of commissions that have not worked since 2008, 2017, and 2020 is being worked out.

### Q: Has Hungary completely lifted all vetoes?
**A:** No. The lifting of the veto concerns the sanctions track, work with Ukrainian media, and the unblocking of part of the clusters. On individual financial decisions, in particular regarding a credit package of €90 billion, Budapest's position remained tough (according to RFI, March 2026), and four clusters remain frozen.