European Summit Exposes Sharp Divisions Over Ukraine’s EU Future

Articles , English , International - بین الاقوامی , Snippets , / Thursday, October 2nd, 2025

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COPENHAGEN, Oct. 2, 2025 – European leaders gathered in Copenhagen on Thursday for the seventh meeting of the European Political Community (EPC), where Ukraine’s path toward potential European Union (EU) membership was a central and divisive issue.
Hosting the summit, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stressed that Europe must build sufficient strength to make war on the continent “unthinkable.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged leaders to allow the opening of the first cluster of EU accession negotiations, arguing that Ukraine’s membership process would enhance Europe’s collective security.
However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban repeated his opposition, warning that full EU membership for Ukraine was “unacceptable.” He argued that such a move would “bring the war into the EU” and redirect European resources disproportionately to Ukraine. Orban said Budapest could only support a strategic partnership on economic, energy, and security cooperation, short of full membership.
Denmark, which assumed the rotating EU presidency on July 1, has pledged to advance accession talks with Kyiv, including potential negotiation clusters. Yet Hungary’s objections cast doubt on how much progress can be achieved during Copenhagen’s presidency.
The summit convened around 50 leaders from both EU and non-EU states. Beyond Ukraine, discussions centered on European security and hybrid threats.
Launched in 2022, the EPC provides a platform for informal dialogue to bolster security, stability, and prosperity across Europe.