Hungary has today sought a review of the European Union’s policy towards Ukraine’s bid for formal membership into the bloc.
Next month, EU leaders are expected to start talks with Ukraine, which has upped efforts to integrate with the West since Russia’s invasion last year.
The bloc is also planning to assign €50bn (£43bn) in aid for Kyiv from its budget until 2027.
These decisions require unanimity from the 27 member states, but Viktor Orban, Hungary’s prime minister, has said he is opposed to starting membership negotiations.
He claims that money and military aid that has already been sent to the country has failed.
Janos Boka, Hungary’s affairs minister, added: “We need a period of reflection and a strategic discussion on the policy of the European Union towards Ukraine.”
Until such discussion, Budapest would not support any EU decisions to advance Ukraine’s accession, he said.
This is not the first time Hungary has temporarily blocked EU decisions. In the past, the country demanded a “strategic” discussion over EU sanctions against Russia for waging the war.
Mr Orban eventually aligned himself with the rest of the bloc, but this was not without negotiations going down to the wire over concessions he sought for Hungary.