How Denmark managed to overcome Orbán’s veto and what comes next for Ukraine on its path to EU

On 11 December, at a specially convened meeting in Lviv, an idea known as "frontloading" became reality. And the Hungarians did not boycott the meeting. They, too, came to Lviv.

Even though the clusters will formally remain "not opened," the accession talks have been unblocked in technical terms. Formally, the clusters will remain "unopened", but on a technical level, the accession negotiations have been unblocked. In Lviv, Ukraine was officially presented with the EU’s negotiating position for three clusters, and the other three are expected in early 2026.

What happens next is the usual negotiation process. Kyiv could even "complete the negotiations" before Orbán’s veto is overcome. Later, once the Hungarian problem has been resolved, chapters could even be opened and negotiated simultaneously.

Read more in the article by Sergiy Sydorenko, European Pravda's editor: Plan B and Orbán’s silence: how Denmark helped the EU unblock Ukraine’s path to accession.

The news that arrived from Lviv on Thursday came as a genuine sensation.

In the autumn, the Danes and the European Commission began working on an initiative known as frontloading. On 11 December, at a specially convened meeting in Lviv, this idea became a reality.

Essentially, they decided to proceed without any formal decisions being made by the EU Council at all – only a unilateral decision by the Danish presidency, backed by the European Commission.

To officially inform the other member states of this, Denmark convened an informal Council meeting, symbolically held in Lviv, Ukraine.

Marie Bjerre, Denmark’s Minister for European Affairs, could not hide her joy. "I am very proud that the Danish presidency has taken a new approach towards enlargement," she said before the meeting where the decision was to be announced had even begun.

Speaking to journalists, Bjerre emphasised two key points related to Hungary’s veto.

Firstly, she criticised the Hungarians for having been completely unconstructive and making it necessary to get round them.

Secondly, she stressed that Hungary no longer has the ability to block the negotiation process.

"Let's be aware that everything depends on Ukraine. Now it's 100% about Ukrainian reform, and it will depend on how fast we can move," Taras Kachka acknowledged in Lviv.

So the technical process that has now begun does not eliminate the need to reach an agreement with the Hungarian government – obviously not the current government, but the next one, which will be formed after the elections in April 2026 (whoever leads it).

But there is more good news.

Alongside the statements on frontloading, Ukraine and the EU agreed in Lviv on a priority reform plan concerning anti-corruption and justice. And the government has acknowledged that this is essential if trust in reforms in Ukraine is to be restored.

But time is an extremely precious resource for Ukraine. And Brussels understands this.

That’s why the Danish scheme is offering not leniency, but acceleration.

To avoid wasting time, Ukraine and the European Commission want to bring the negotiation process to completion now, with Orbán still formally exercising his veto.

Then, when the Hungarian veto is no longer in place, they could open and close negotiations at the same meeting.