Hungary continues blocking Moldova and Ukraine from opening their first EU negotiation clusters despite both countries completing all screening requirements, as Moldovan President Maia Sandu rejected proposals to decouple the two countries’ accession paths.

Both countries completed screening requirements for opening negotiation clusters. Ukraine finished screening its first cluster in November 2024 and its second cluster in March 2025, while Moldova completed its screening in September 2025. The European Commission stated in October 2024 that screening was “progressing smoothly” for both countries, and the European Council acknowledged in June 2025 that “the fundamentals cluster is ready to be opened.”

Hungary stalls both countries

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has not raised objections to Moldova’s accession but continues blocking Ukraine, citing Hungarian minority rights concerns in Transcarpathia. Budapest’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in March, “Hungary cannot support any progress in Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations until this unacceptable situation is resolved.”

The parallel accession paths became politically linked after both countries applied for EU membership in March 2022, received candidate status simultaneously that June, and opened negotiations together on 25 June 2024. Brussels has maintained this coupling as a geopolitical signal, with EU officials telling Euronews in July that “the decoupling of the enlargement process between Moldova and Ukraine is not for now”—separating them would suggest “strategic acquiescence to Russia’s destabilising goals in the region.”

Moldova’s refusal to proceed alone now forces Brussels to either bypass Hungary’s veto or accept indefinite delays for both countries.

“We are at the stage where we need to start the next round of negotiations. This is blocked by Hungary's refusal towards Ukraine,” Sandu told Moldova’s Rock FM radio. Asked about proceeding with limited membership rights, she dismissed the idea: “We have not discussed such an option. Of course, we want to become full members of the European Union.”

Ukraine’s self-inflicted setback

Beyond Hungarian obstruction, Ukraine’s path encountered complications in July when President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed controversial anti-corruption legislation. Brussels had secretly planned to bypass Hungary’s veto by opening Ukraine’s first cluster on 18 July, but abandoned the plan four days after the law was signed. The Ukrainian parliament later repealed the legislation following both internal and international pressure.

In October, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka said that “creative solutions” could enable opening six negotiating clusters in December. European Council President António Costa has proposed allowing cluster openings by qualified majority rather than unanimous consent, though the Netherlands defended Hungary’s veto rights at the October Copenhagen summit.

In her interview with Rock FM, Sandu emphasized that both countries have fulfilled their commitments, as confirmed by the European Commission. She expressed hope that “a solution will soon be found.”

The standoff tests whether EU member states can indefinitely block enlargement even after candidates meet technical requirements—a precedent that could reshape how Brussels manages future accessions.

Read also:

• Ukraine expects EU accession talks breakthrough in December as Hungary faces growing pressure
• Kyiv's EU hopes collide with Dutch veto defense at Copenhagen summit

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged on July 4 that the European Union will help Moldova defend itself against hybrid threats by "agents of autocracy."

"We are committed to protecting you against the hybrid attacks and the energy shocks that your country has been a victim of," von der Leyen said following the EU-Moldova summit in Chisinau.

"Who is behind those attacks is clear to all of us here. These are the same agents of autocracy trying to undermine our democracies everywhere in Europe."

Von der Leyen praised Moldova's support for Ukraine and the EU, noting its acceptance of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees and its assistance with European wildfire response efforts.

The visit was made in show of solidarity with Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries, as it prepares for high-stakes parliamentary elections on Sept. 28.

The pro-European government of President Maia Sandu faces a challenge from the pro-Russian Socialist Party, amid growing fears of destabilization ahead of the vote.

Sandu has accused Russia of using its military presence in Moldova's Russian-occupied Transnistria region to stir unrest and derail the country's EU aspirations. On June 12, she warned that Moscow could provoke a crisis in Transnistria to influence the election outcome.

Transnistria has been under Russian-backed separatist control since the early 1990s, with approximately 1,000 to 1,500 Russian troops still stationed in the region.

On June 11, Transnistrian authorities declared a 30-day state of emergency after a sharp drop in natural gas supplies. The unrecognized region has faced mounting energy shortages since January, when Russian energy giant Gazprom halted deliveries in what many see as an attempt to destabilize the situation in Moldova.

Moldova was granted EU candidate status in 2022. Sandu's ruling Party of Action and Solidarity aims to maintain its parliamentary majority and move the country closer to full membership by 2030.

Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean earlier told the Financial Times that Russia plans to send 10,000 troops to Transnistria and establish a pro-Kremlin government in Moldova.

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Moldovan President Maia Sandu said on July 4 that her country's European Union aspirations depend on Moldovan citizens as a crucial September 28 election approaches.

Sandu hopes her pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) will retain its parliamentary majority, paving the way for Moldova, one of Europe's poorest nations, to join the EU by 2030.

Sandu made her remarks at the conclusion of the 27-nation bloc's inaugural summit with Moldova. Her PAS party faces a challenge from the pro-Russian Socialist Party and its allies in the upcoming election. Sandu secured re-election last year by a narrow margin against a Socialist challenger in the ex-Soviet state, located between Ukraine and Romania. A referendum seeking public backing for EU membership also just barely surpassed a 50% majority.

"Prosperity and peace do not occur for nothing, you have to build them. With collective effort and unity. When citizens are united and choose the correct path and proceed along it," Sandu told a news conference after the summit. "The European Union is already happening here. The only risk is if we stop. If we decide this autumn that nothing will stop us, then everything is possible."

Sandu and her party have condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and accuse Moscow of destabilizing Moldova. Russia, in turn, claims many Moldovans desire to maintain ties with Moscow and accuses Sandu of fostering Russophobia.

Opinion polls suggest that no single party will likely secure a parliamentary majority. If no majority emerges, pro-European parties would need to engage in coalition talks.

At the summit, which included European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council head Antonio Costa, the EU announced the disbursement of the first €270 million ($318 million) tranche of an Economic Growth Plan for Moldova.

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Moscow may instigate a crisis in Moldova's Russian-occupied Transnistria region to destabilize the country ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for September, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said on June 12, according to Moldovan outlet Newsmaker.

"All these years, Russia has been using the residents of Transnistria and can provoke an even greater crisis at any moment if it suits its plans in Moldova," Sandu said.

"We can expect this crisis to deepen in the coming months, before the elections."

The president's comments come after Transnistria declared a 30-day state of emergency on June 11, due to a sharp reduction in natural gas supplies.

The unrecognized region, located along Moldova's eastern border with Ukraine, has faced mounting energy shortages since January, when Russian gas giant Gazprom halted deliveries.

Sandu, a pro-European leader of the country, warned that Moscow could combine voter bribery and political manipulation with "blackmail" in Transnistria.

"Russia may promise assistance in exchange for votes on the Right Bank. We can expect all sorts of games," the president said.

In February, Moldova's government revealed that Transnistria rejected a 60 million euros ($62 million) EU energy aid package under pressure from Moscow.

The Moldovan president assured that the country's institutions are monitoring the risks and pledged that the elections would be "free and fair," despite growing instability.

Sandu emphasized that Chisinau is prepared to support the population in Transnistria but must first address "the main problem — the withdrawal of Russian troops."

"This is a key issue that we must resolve peacefully, because otherwise we will not be able to justify our financial support," she said.

Moscow continues to maintain a military presence in Transnistria, which has been under the control of pro-Russian separatists since the early 1990s. President Volodymyr Zelensky said in February that around 1,000 to 1,500 Russian troops are currently stationed in the region.  

Chisinau has repeatedly called for the peaceful reintegration of Transnistria and the withdrawal of Russian forces, citing it as essential to Moldova's security and development.

Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean earlier told the Financial Times that Russia plans to send 10,000 troops to Transnistria and establish a pro-Kremlin government in Moldova.

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