"At the moment, I am against Ukraine's entry into the European Union," Polish President-elect Karol Nawrocki told Hungarian outlet Mandiner in an interview released on June 7.

"On the one hand, we must support Ukraine in its conflict with the Russian Federation, but Ukraine must understand that other countries, including Poland, Hungary, and other European countries, also have their own interests," he said.

Nawrocki won the second round of the Polish presidential election on June 1 with 50.89% of the vote. He has previously voiced opposition to Ukraine's membership in the EU and NATO, despite supporting Ukraine's sovereignty.

"Poland has such an interest, for example, in the exhumation of the Volyn (massacre) victims," Nawrocki said.

Polish and Ukrainian researchers began exhuming victims of the World War II era massacres on April 24 in Western Ukraine.

It was the first such exhumation since 2017, when Ukraine imposed a moratorium in response to the destruction of Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) memorials in Poland.

"During the campaign, I did not agree, and as president, I will not agree, to unfair competition with Ukraine for Polish agriculture or the logistics sector," Nawrocki said.

EU tariffs on Ukrainian agricultural exports resumed on June 6, amid opposition to Ukrainian exports and its EU accession from eastern European members, including Hungary and Poland.

"I see Ukraine as a country that, although it is very bravely defending itself against the Russian Federation, must also respect the interests of other countries that otherwise support Ukraine," he said.

In contrast to other Eurosceptic leaders in Europe, including Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Nawrocki does not express pro-Russian views, but has repeatedly accused President Volodymyr Zelensky of taking advantage of allies.

Wondering where to start with Dostoevsky? Try his Ukrainian contemporaries instead

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a growing debate has emerged over the cultural and political legacy of Russian literature — particularly the global reverence for classic Russian authors, which critics argue has long served to promote the imperial narratives embedded in their work. As

The Kyiv IndependentKate Tsurkan

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban railed against Ukraine's future accession to the European Union in a social media post on June 3, promising to "do everything" to prevent Ukraine from joining the bloc.

Under the Orban regime, Hungary has become widely regarded as the most Kremlin-friendly state in the EU. Budapest has been blocking the opening of EU accession negotiation clusters with Kyiv and signaled further obstruction in recent weeks after Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said it had uncovered a Hungarian spy network in western Ukraine.

In a Facebook post on June 3, Orban called EU expansion "a noble idea" but excoriated "the bureaucrats in Brussels" for promoting Ukraine's membership.

"For Brussels, Ukrainian accession is a vital issue: political damage control and good business in the midst of a losing war," he wrote.

Orban claimed that Kyiv's membership would hurt Hungarian interests and have economic drawbacks for Europe.

"Ukraine would suck up every euro, forint and zloty that we have spent so far on strengthening European families, European farmers, and European industry. ... In 10 years, I would not be able to answer my conscience to myself, my grandchildren, or the country if I did not do everything now to protect Hungary and the European Union from the Brussels fever dream of Ukrainian accession."

Orban encouraged Hungarians to vote in a non-binding national poll on Ukraine's EU bid that the government launched in early March. The poll  has garnered criticism for low turnout and manipulative questions, written to encourage citizens to reject Ukraine's accession.

Kyiv formally applied for EU membership in 2022 and began accession talks in June 2024. EU leaders have set 2030 as a tentative target date for Ukraine's potential entry. As a member state, Hungary holds veto power over each phase of the process.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on May 9 that while the EU would prefer to secure unanimous support, it has alternative plans if Hungary vetoes Ukraine's accession to the bloc.

After the scandal regarding the alleged spy ring broke out in early May, Budapest announced it is suspending talks with Ukraine on "national minority rights," long presented by Hungary as the main roadblock in accession negotiations.

‘Tattoos of war’ — haunting portraits of Ukrainians’ most painful wartime memories (Photos)

In everyday life, these people might appear normal: they have no physical wounds, their loved ones and children are alive by their side. But Ukrainian photographer Sergey Melnitchenko’s black-and-white portraits reveal the chilling depths that stand between his subjects and normalcy. They gaze outward with calm, matter-of-fact expressions, while

The Kyiv IndependentSergey Melnitchenko

Hungary's European Affairs Minister Janos Boka said on May 27 that it is difficult to lead constructive negotiations with Ukraine on its EU accession, as Kyiv is allegedly conducting "information and intelligence" operations on Hungary's territory.

The statement comes after the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced on May 9 that it had dismantled a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast, detaining two agents accused of espionage against the Ukrainian state.

The Hungarian government denied the accusation as a smear campaign and instead declared it had exposed two Ukrainian spies operating in Hungary. The controversy has put a further strain on an already fragile bilateral relationship.

Talking to journalists ahead of the EU General Affairs Council in Brussels on May 2, Boka said that constructive negotiations on Ukraine's entry to the EU would be difficult in this context.

Hungary, whose government is widely regarded as the most Russian-friendly in the EU, has been blocking the opening of accession negotiation clusters with Kyiv. After the scandal broke out, Budapest announced it is suspending talks with Ukraine on national minority rights, long presented by Hungary as the main roadblock in accession negotiations.

Budapest has repeatedly accused Kyiv of discriminating against the Hungarian ethnic minority concentrated in southwestern Zakarpattia Oblast, an accusation that the Ukrainian leadership denies. Much of these disputes center around Ukraine's language laws that require at least 70% of education above the fifth grade to be conducted in Ukrainian.

In turn, Kyiv has long accused Budapest of undermining Ukraine's sovereignty through political interference and dual citizenship schemes. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has also consistently obstructed sanctions against Russia and military aid for Ukraine within the EU.

Amid the escalating controversy, Orban has also accused Ukraine of meddling in Hungary's internal affairs and colluding with the Hungarian political opposition.

The agenda of the May 27 meeting in Brussels includes the possibility of stripping Hungary of its voting rights as the EU is looking for ways to override Budapest if it vetoes Ukraine's accession.

This will be the eighth hearing regarding Hungary since the European Parliament triggered Article 7 procedures against the country in 2018. Article 7 of the EU Treaty allows for the suspension of Council voting rights if a member state consistently breaches EU founding principles.

Decision on lifting range restrictions on arms for Ukraine made months ago, Germany’s Merz clarifies

“In this respect, yesterday in Berlin, I described something that has been happening for months: namely, that Ukraine has the right to use the weapons it receives, even beyond its own borders, against military targets on Russian territory,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek