Hungary and Lithuania differ on Ukraine EU accession timeline

Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys expressed differing views on the feasibility of Ukraine joining the European Union by 2030 during a visit to Vilnius.

Orban stated that she does not believe a 2030 accession is realistic, emphasizing that all candidate countries must undergo the same rigorous process and meet identical conditions without an accelerated timeline. She noted that while Ukraine has made significant progress, with four of six negotiating groups open, the process must remain merit-based.

In contrast, Budrys expressed greater optimism, suggesting that a 2030 target is theoretically possible if Ukraine implements necessary reforms quickly and the EU completes its internal processes in a timely manner. He advocated for establishing a target date to guide the accession efforts.