Hungary maintains opposition to opening final two EU accession clusters for Ukraine
According to one of the publication's sources, Hungary has not changed its position on advancing the accession negotiations.
"Hungary's position has not changed," a diplomat said.
The sources noted that Ireland, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, knew in advance that Budapest had no intention of reconsidering its position on opening clusters 4 and 5. Rubryka previously reported on Hungary's stance. Despite this, the issue was once again placed on the working party's agenda for the October 27 meeting.
Another diplomat suggested that revisiting the issue was primarily a political move. In their view, it was more an attempt to increase pressure on Hungary than a genuine effort to secure its agreement at that particular meeting.
What do negotiation clusters 4 and 5 cover?
These are currently the two remaining negotiation clusters that the EU has yet to open for Ukraine.
Ukraine's accession to the European Union
As Rubryka reported, on September 30, 2025, Ukraine and the European Commission completed bilateral meetings as part of the official screening of Ukrainian legislation for compliance with the EU acquis (EU law).
As a reminder, on June 15, all EU member states reached an agreement to open the first negotiation cluster for Ukraine and Moldova. It is called "Fundamentals" and is the core cluster, covering the judiciary and fundamental rights. Opening this cluster marks the start of substantive negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU.
Later, on October 12, all 27 EU member states approved the opening of two more negotiation clusters for Ukraine.
Under the procedure, the next step was to open five more clusters: "Internal Market," "Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth," "Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity," "Resources, Agriculture and Cohesion," and "External Relations."
President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said that Ukraine expects all negotiation clusters for EU accession to be opened by the end of 2026.
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- October, 27
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28 of October 2026
