In a dramatic turn of events that has dealt a serious blow to Ukraine’s hopes of joining the European Union, Hungary has vetoed a joint EU statement backing the start of accession negotiations with Kyiv. The decision was announced on June 26 at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, and it represents a fresh confrontation between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the rest of the bloc.

According to a communique published on the European Council’s website, the statement supporting Ukraine’s membership bid was backed by 26 out of 27 EU member states. However, the EU’s decision-making process on enlargement requires unanimity, giving each member state veto power. Hungary’s opposition means talks cannot proceed until it changes its position-a move that has sparked renewed tensions both within the EU and in Ukraine.

Though the document did not explicitly name Hungary, Prime Minister Orbán confirmed his government’s position to reporters, citing the results of a recent national referendum-dubbed “Voks2025”-which revealed overwhelming public opposition to Ukraine’s EU accession. “We stopped Ukraine’s EU accession with the votes of Voks2025,” Orbán declared. “I needed it, because I was almost swept away by the public anger when I announced that Hungary would not agree to start negotiations with Ukraine.”

Orbán’s justification was not limited to public opinion. He questioned the very foundations of Ukraine’s statehood, saying, “There must be a defined identity, borders, a population, a territory, and in the case of........

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