EU member states most supportive of Ukraine are ready to move forward with accession talks for Moldova without Ukraine, if Hungary continues to block progress for Kyiv, European Pravda reported on May 5.

Despite hopes in Kyiv that its closest allies would insist on keeping Ukraine and Moldova’s EU accession bids as a single package, diplomats in Brussels and several national capitals confirmed that this will not happen if Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán maintains his veto.

Even the bloc’s most Ukraine-sympathetic governments, including the Baltic states, have indicated they are prepared to support Moldova unilaterally.

“We are in a difficult position. Yes, we support Ukraine in the negotiations and we know that Ukraine would prefer to preserve the current package. But we also support Moldova and are helping them… We will not veto the start of negotiations with Moldova,” an enlargement official from one of the Baltic states told European Pravda, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The key motivation behind the EU’s readiness to advance Moldova’s bid independently is the forthcoming parliamentary elections in the country, scheduled for September 28. The European Commission and member states view the vote as pivotal for the pro-European trajectory of President Maia Sandu’s administration. Diplomatic sources noted that the outcome would carry strategic weight for Ukraine as well.

With Ukraine’s accession talks currently stalled due to Orbán’s opposition, attention has turned to the growing frustration among Kyiv’s allies, who are now planning to intensify diplomatic pressure on Hungary.

According to European Pravda, these countries are preparing coordinated efforts ahead of the EU summit on June 26-27 to persuade Orbán to lift his veto. His government has repeatedly cited issues such as the rights of a Hungarian minority living in Ukraine and Ukrainian corruption concerns as grounds for withholding support.

Orbán’s stance has put him at odds with the rest of the bloc, which overwhelmingly backs Ukraine’s candidacy in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

A Brussels-based official involved in the enlargement process said: “The decision on Moldova must not be delayed. We will try everything to ensure Ukraine moves forward too, but we cannot hold back a country that is ready.”