Lithuania has urged the European Union to take the most decisive steps to make Ukraine’s bid for EU membership a reality and irreversible. The message was sent last week by Lithuania’s leadership and relevant officials to the leaders of EU member states, according to Lithuanian media.
The document emphasizes that opening negotiations will raise the morale of Ukrainians and foster reform movements in the country, while Russia intensifies frontline activity. An uncompromising stance could dampen domestic support for membership and undermine institutional will to reform.
“Opening negotiations will lift both Ukraine’s morale and the reform drive of the country at a time when Russia is intensifying military actions. And inaction could weaken public support for Ukraine’s membership and undermine institutional will to reform”
– Lithuania, according to LRT
The document also proposes to begin negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova at a technical level without Hungary’s participation, provided that 26 member states support such an initiative. An official decision could be taken later if Budapest changes its position.
In a separate part of the text, the Lithuanian side’s call to set 2030 as the target date for Ukraine’s accession to the EU is repeated, arguing that this would help both sides in planning reforms and resources.
The acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Kestutis Budrys stressed that Lithuania firmly insists on unblocking Ukraine’s path to the EU. «Any further delay would be geopolitically harmful both to Ukraine and to the EU. Ukraine’s membership is part of Europe’s security guarantees and is necessary for long-term peace and stability» – his words.
According to the publication, Lithuania’s proposal will be considered at the upcoming Copenhagen meeting, where ministers led by the EU’s top foreign policy official Kaja Kalas will focus primarily on the war in Ukraine and the Middle East.
“will focus primarily on the war in Ukraine and the Middle East”
– Kaja Kalas
Context: Hungary’s policy toward Ukraine
The article separately discusses Hungary’s positions in the context of the Ukrainian topic in 2025. Prime Minister Viktor Orban called Ukraine an “undefined entity” and expressed the view that its membership in the EU could mean a “state of war” between the EU and Russia and between European states and Hungary.
Orban has repeatedly voiced critical accusations against Ukraine, calling it a “buffer state” and expressing concern about threats to Hungary. In the spring, the Hungarian government launched propaganda videos alleging that the Ukrainian mafia is involved in arms and drug trafficking, and that Ukraine’s accession to the EU would mean “the emergence of the Ukrainian mafia in Hungary.” The videos feature the President of Ukraine and the President of the European Commission. In this way, the government urged Hungarians to participate in a consultative referendum on Ukraine’s EU membership.
In particular, Zelensky stated that he did not authorize the use of his image in Orban’s political campaign. Hungary also sends citizens letters urging them to express a position against Ukraine’s EU membership in the referendum. According to polls, a portion of registered voters participated in the vote, confirming a significant level of public interest in the issue.
The government rhetoric emphasizes that Ukraine’s accession to the EU will be costly for both sides, which is why Hungary justifies its blocking of the opening of negotiation clusters since the beginning of 2025.
Ultimately, Lithuania believes that refusing to take active steps toward the EU only delays regional progress and security guarantees, and may have negative consequences for the stability of our entire continent.