Zelenskyy on opening clusters with EU: Ukraine survived Orban and did not compromise its dignity
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared that Ukraine’s path to the European Union is irreversible. Commenting on the fall of Viktor Orbán’s pro-Russian government in Hungary, the head of state emphasized that Ukraine "survived Orbán" without compromising its dignity.
The Ukrainian leader made these remarks in an audio comment to journalists, according to Censor.NET, citing Liga.
Overcoming the main obstacle
Orbán lost power following the April parliamentary elections, which brought an end to his Fidesz party’s 16-year rule.
"We’ve opened the first cluster… Our partners have done a great job; they’re our friends. We’ll open all the clusters—I’m confident of that. We’ve earned this, and we won’t give up. We have survived Orbán, and we have not compromised our dignity. There is a lot of work ahead. We will overcome everything, I am confident," Zelenskyy emphasized, noting that Ukraine’s path to the EU is "unstoppable."
Zelenskyy made a statement on European integration following meetings with partners on June 18 in Brussels, including the European Council meeting. Earlier, he had stated that the remaining five clusters could be opened in the coming weeks.
"Following the changes in Hungary—which, by the way, I believe are positive changes—there is definitely a new opportunity to strengthen relations both within the EU and between the EU and Ukraine. For Ukraine, being a good neighbor has never been just about words, and now we are ready to work as closely as possible—with mutual respect—with each of our European neighbors. I want to thank our neighbors—Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia—and all other EU countries, and assure you that Ukraine is deeply committed to the principle of mutual respect," the Ukrainian president stated during the European Council meeting.
Opening of the first cluster of negotiations
- It should be noted that clusters are thematic areas related to the alignment of Ukrainian legislation with European legislation (in particular, regarding the rule of law, economic issues, agricultural policy, etc.). Ukraine and the EU opened the first cluster on June 15.
