Macron will meet with Orban to find compromise on Ukraine's EU accession - Politico

This was reported by Politico.

According to a source in Paris, the French president believes that the Hungarian leader can still be persuaded to support Ukraine's accession to the EU.

According to the official, Orban "driving up the bids" to get more money from the EU.

"TIt’s purely tactical … that’s why there’s a certain optimism that we can reach an agreement," the source said.

A diplomat from another EU country called Orban's threats a political spectacle and tried to counter the impression that the Hungarian prime minister was dictating the agenda to the other 26 countries, saying: "another day, another letter from Budapest. So what’s new"

However, another senior diplomat from a third EU country said Orban was becoming more intransigent. The EU official in Brussels also said that this time Orban seems to really be making it clear that he will not back down from his position on Ukraine's accession, even if he receives more EU funds.

• On 8 November, the European Commission recommended starting the process of negotiating Ukraine's accession to the EU.
• Last week, Orban said that negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU were not in Hungary's interests and should not be put on the agenda.
• On 4 December, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban sent a letter to European Council President Charles Michel asking him not to start negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU.