BRUSSELS — European Council President Charles Michel mentioned he’s nonetheless engaged on ”Plan A” in terms of giving the inexperienced mild to opening accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova and granting Georgia EU candidate standing, together with offering additional monetary help to Kyiv, at an important EU summit in Brussels this week regardless of a repeated risk by Hungary to dam the method.
Heading into the December 14-15 summit, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has demanded EU leaders keep away from any determination on Ukraine’s coveted purpose of getting a inexperienced mild for membership talks even because the nation fights Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Orban insists {that a} ”strategic dialogue” is required first about Ukraine’s EU membership and warned that forcing a choice may destroy EU unity.
Choices on the enlargement of the bloc and a evaluation of its long-term price range, which incorporates 50 billion euros ($54.1 billion) in help for Kyiv, have to be agreed unanimously by all 27 member international locations. Ukraine is relying on the EU funds to assist its financial system survive within the coming 12 months.
”Everybody can see what’s at stake and what are the positions expressed by the totally different international locations,” Michel informed RFE/RL in an unique interview.
”I believe it have to be doable to make an extra step. And I am engaged on Plan A, not on different plans,” he added.
Talks on offering additional financial and navy help to Kyiv and urgent ahead on EU accession negotiations for Ukraine and different regional international locations are anticipated to take the highlight within the essential two-day gathering of the bloc’s leaders.
Michel mentioned the entire different 26 member states assist additional help to Kyiv, together with the financial help package deal, and he was fast to dismiss the suggestion that accession talks be postponed for the ”strategic debate” Orban has floated.
”Will probably be a troublesome assembly, and we should inform the reality as a result of now we have the assist of 26 leaders out of 27, which is excellent information,” he mentioned.
”It is the excellent news, the optimistic information: assist from 26 leaders for more cash for Ukraine, extra monetary assist, and extra navy tools for Ukraine. On the identical time, now we have one nation, Hungary, which is expressing some doubts and a few reluctance. We have to persuade Hungary, and we’re engaged on that day and evening to arrange the European Council, and I hope we will ship.”
”At the moment…there may be [a] proposal on the desk…the opening EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and with Moldova and granting the candidate standing for Georgia and making some extra steps. It can be crucial for the Western Balkan international locations.”
The transfer may additionally imply the potential opening of accession talks with Bosnia-Herzegovina, one thing that Austria, Croatia, Hungary, and Slovenia have been pushing to happen concurrently with talks relating to the three different japanese EU hopefuls.
Michel admitted that it’s ”respectable to ask for strategic debates” however added: ”Since Day 1 following [Russia’s] full-scale invasion, now we have had many strategic debates on the European Council degree on Ukraine on the concrete modalities for our motion to guard the European Union’s pursuits and values.”
Hypothesis has surfaced that the Hungarian veto is likely to be lifted if Budapest secures a 10-billion-euro package deal from the EU price range that the fee has frozen over rule-of-law considerations within the Central European nation, presumably giving Budapest the leverage it must get entry to the funding.
The usage of vetoes is one thing Michel additionally needs to debate in additional depth, he mentioned, with out offering particulars.
He acknowledged there are occasions when ”the temptation to abuse the veto proper and take hostage EU establishments and the EU decision-making course of” arises.
”In my view, it is extremely vital to consider all of the sensitivities across the desk to incorporate all of the member states to ensure European unity. However that exhibits what we face right this moment.”
As for Ukraine monetary help, Michel mentioned there may be hope for progress, even when Hungary can’t be introduced alongside.
For instance, he mentioned, loans could be made to Ukraine — versus outright grants — with the 26 EU governments backing these loans on a month-to-month or quarterly foundation.
”I’m very assured on the 50 billion for Ukraine,” he mentioned.
However, he added, ”I do not say that is simple. We have now nonetheless some conversations to be sure that we decide.”
”I am very assured as a result of I really feel very sturdy assist. I really feel that European leaders do perceive this…to make very clear with this determination that we assist Ukraine in the long term.”