Politico: Threat to disrupt EU summit prompts European Council chief to cut short trip to Beijing
World
In a letter dated 4 December that has fallen into the hands of journalists, Viktor Orban urged Michel to remove Ukraine's EU accession talks from the agenda of the upcoming summit.
European Council President Charles Michel will cut short his trip to Beijing over Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's threat to disrupt the EU summit, Politico reported.
EU leaders are expected to vote in favour of starting accession talks with Ukraine at a meeting in mid-December.
Michel, who is travelling to China for the first offline EU-China summit since 2019, “will return to Brussels to continue his discussions with leaders on a way forward," a European official told Politico.
In a 4 December letter obtained by reporters, Orban urged Michel to remove Ukraine's EU accession talks from the upcoming summit's agenda.
According to Orban, the lack of a unified consensus on the issue will lead to failure.
Hungary's leader is sharply opposed to Ukraine's EU membership and has threatened to veto a planned €50bn aid to Kiev.
According to other reports, French President Emmanuel Macron has also invited Orban to a meeting in Paris this weekend in the hope of reaching a compromise.
Michel already met Orban last week in Budapest. After that, the head of the European Council emphasised the importance of "EU unity" in his statements.
EU leaders are expected to vote in favour of starting accession talks with Ukraine at a meeting in mid-December.
Michel, who is travelling to China for the first offline EU-China summit since 2019, “will return to Brussels to continue his discussions with leaders on a way forward," a European official told Politico.
In a 4 December letter obtained by reporters, Orban urged Michel to remove Ukraine's EU accession talks from the upcoming summit's agenda.
According to Orban, the lack of a unified consensus on the issue will lead to failure.
Hungary's leader is sharply opposed to Ukraine's EU membership and has threatened to veto a planned €50bn aid to Kiev.
According to other reports, French President Emmanuel Macron has also invited Orban to a meeting in Paris this weekend in the hope of reaching a compromise.
Michel already met Orban last week in Budapest. After that, the head of the European Council emphasised the importance of "EU unity" in his statements.
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