European Union Approves Ukraine's Membership Discussions, President Zelensky: This Is a Victory

European Union Meeting in Brussels Belgium Dec. 13-15. (Twitter @MinPres)

JAKARTA - The European Union agreed to start discussions on Ukraine's membership, but failed to agree on a financial aid package worth 50 billion euros for Kyiv due to opposition from Hungary.

At a summit in Brussels, the bloc's leaders ignored Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's objections, asking him to leave the room while they took the historic step of agreeing to start discussions on Ukraine's accession.

However, they were unable to overcome PM Orban's objections to changes to the bloc's budget, to channel financial support to Ukraine, and provide more money for other EU priorities such as managing migration.

Talks on a new financial aid package, which requires a unanimous vote from the 27 EU leaders, started early Friday and will be discussed again in January.

Officials said the leaders of 26 of the EU's 27 member states were satisfied with the budget compromise proposal put forward by summit chairman Charles Michel.

"We still have time, Ukraine will not run out of money in the next few weeks," Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told reporters after leaving the meeting, reported by Reuters, December 15.

"I'm pretty sure we can get an agreement early next year, we are thinking about the end of January," said PM Rutte.

Meanwhile, PM Orban argued that Ukraine should not receive large amounts of funds from the EU budget, because the country is not part of the bloc.

Meanwhile, other leaders have assured Kyiv that they will channel aid to Ukraine outside the EU budget if Budapest maintains its blockade.

Although membership may still be years away, the decision at the summit in Brussels brings Ukraine one step closer to its long-term strategic goal of establishing itself in the West.

The move comes at a critical time for Ukraine, after its counteroffensive against Russian forces failed to produce major gains and US President Joe Biden has so far been unable to get a $60 billion package for Kyiv through the US Congress.

"This is a victory for Ukraine. A victory for all of Europe. A victory that motivates, inspires, and strengthens," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"I congratulate every Ukrainian on this day. History was made by those who did not get tired of fighting for freedom," he stressed.

However, membership negotiations will likely take years and will not begin immediately.

First, the EU must agree on a negotiating framework for the talks, which would require another unanimous decision. The leaders said they would take this step once Ukraine meets important requirements regarding democracy and the rule of law.

Apart from discussing the Ukraine issue, EU leaders also agreed to Moldova's accession talks, and granted Georgia candidate member status.

“It is clear that these countries belong to the European family,” Scholz said on social media platform X.