EU Says Hungary's Block Could Mean Moldova's Accession Moves Forward Without Ukraine

PRAGUE -- The European Union is considering moving along in the accession process with Moldova while leaving Ukraine behind as Hungary continues to block Kyiv's membership drive.

Speaking to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in an interview on April 28 during a visit to Prague, EU Enlargement Minister Marta Kos said she couldn't rule out a “decoupling” of the two countries as soon as June, when a raft of enlargement decisions is expected to be made in Brussels.

“We are discussing already with the member states what to do because no member state is against starting to open the first cluster (of accession chapters) with Moldova,” she said, noting Hungary's opposition to Ukraine's accession.

Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries, and Ukraine, torn apart by more than three years of war sparked by Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion, have so far proceeded hand in hand in the EU accession process.

Both applied for membership of the bloc shortly after thousands of Russian troops crossed over into Ukraine in early 2022. Last year the 27 EU member states gave both the green light to start accession talks.

The negotiations with Kyiv, however, have stalled with Budapest putting up a road block while it presses for improved rights of the Hungarian-speaking minority in Ukraine.

Kos: EU Ready To Decouple Moldova And Ukraine; Chisinau Could Join Bloc This Decade

With all EU enlargement decisions needing unanimity, Hungary can effectively keep Ukraine out of the bloc as long as it deems necessary.

Decoupling countries vying for entrance into the bloc has been done before.

In September 2024, the EU decided to start negotiations with Albania while leaving North Macedonia behind as Skopje remained entangled in bilateral disputes with the EU member state Bulgaria over minority rights.

Moldovan membership this decade?

During the interview, Kos, who became enlargement commissioner in December 2024, said there was even a possibility Moldova could become a member state by the time her mandate finishes in 2029.

She said it would be considered a “failure if we will not get any newcomers into the EU in the times of the present European Commission.”

Confident that both Western Balkan frontrunners Albania and Montenegro could become EU countries in the upcoming three or four years, Kos also left the door open for Chisinau as well.

“Moldova is really a good student in the whole group. They really feel this historical moment," she said.

"And this is something which probably we haven't seen before, because it is a peace project, because they want to belong to the community of values and democracy. They are willing to do everything possible.”

Kos said it was regretful that Budapest is playing politics with Ukraine's membership, going as far as holding a consultative referendum on Ukrainian EU membership in which the Moscow-friendly Fidesz government has spoken out against Kyiv joining the club.

“Ukraine has done enough, I can tell you from my personal experience because I was facilitating the dialogue between Hungary and Ukraine. And there were many points, and Ukraine is willing to fulfill all of them. But this is not enough for Hungary," Kos said.

Talking to Georgia again?

In a nod to another accession candidate that has seen its candidacy run aground, Kos hinted it may be time to slowly start re-engaging with the government in Tbilisi.

Georgia also applied for EU membership in 2022 and received candidate status a year later.

But parliamentary elections in October, which Western observers noted were marred by irregularities, and controversial legislation such a foreign agent law similar to one Russia has used to stifle civil society, forced Brussels to pause the bid of the small South Caucasus republic.

Brussels also decided to freeze EU funds earmarked for the government, reinstate visa requirements for Georgian diplomatic passport holders, and suspended high-level contacts.

“The easiest way is not to talk...But we talk to many other countries in the world which do not have a candidate status," Kos said, noting that Turkey, which has had its candidate status frozen since 2019, has resumed high-level dialogue.

"We had one [discussion] on the economy, we are planning another one on migration,” she said.

When pressed if she thought something similar was on the cards for Tbilisi, she added: “I think that we should take care, perhaps not on the highest level at the beginning or perhaps starting at the lower level, but then to see how we could explore this.”