European Council To Discuss Ukraine EU Accession

Former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has outlined conditions for Ukraine's entry into the European Union. Orbán reportedly discussed expanding rights for Hungarians living in Ukraine with European Council President Antonio Costa in Brussels. Bloomberg reported these discussions occurred following pressure from the EU on Hungary. Peter Maddir, leader of the Hungarian Tisza party, stated he will support negotiations for Ukraine's entry into the European Union only if rights for the Hungarian minority in Ukraine are expanded. Maddir announced this position during a meeting with European Council President António Costa in Brussels. Reported requirements include access to Hungarian language education and broader cultural rights for Hungarians in Ukraine. The demands mirror previous positions held by the Hungarian government. The European Council will hold a leaders-level meeting tomorrow to discuss the formal opening of accession clusters. The European Commission is expected to release a general assessment of all candidate countries in November as part of an expansion package. This follows the context of 145 European Union requirements related to euro-integration.