Lithuanian president says Hungary ‘harming itself’ by objecting to Ukraine’s EU accession talks
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has criticised Hungary for objecting that the EU start accession talks with Ukraine.
He made the remarks on Wednesday in Brussels as he arrived for a European Council meeting that focuses on financial support for Ukraine and the possible start of its EU membership talks.
“By demonstrating its different approach from that of the whole EU, Hungary is harming itself in a sense, as refraining from helping Ukraine at this time, whether we are talking about military support or political support or, in this case, the start of membership talks, is like handing all the cards to Vladimir Putin,” Nausėda said.
He also spoke about supporting Ukraine and sanctioning Russia at the EU-Western Balkans summit in Brussels on Wednesday.
At the summit, Nausėda insisted that “synchronising” the Western Balkan countries’ positions with the EU’s foreign and security policies is essential for closer cooperation, his office said in a press release.
The Lithuanian president called on Western Balkan leaders to implement the EU’s sanctions against Russia and Belarus and to prevent the circumvention of sanctions.
“If we want peace and stability in Europe, we must make every effort to support Ukraine,” Nausėda said in the press release.
The president also underscored Lithuania’s support for the EU enlargement process in the Western Balkans “based on reforms, especially in the areas of the fight against corruption, the rule of law, and the independence of judiciary”, according to the press release.
He urged Serbia and Kosovo to make efforts to de-escalate tensions and return to “constructive dialogue”.