The proposal, first reported by POLITICO, has been raised by Kyiv’s allies before and earned the Commission’s tick of approval Monday. But will likely require Budapest’s sign-off, which it is unlikely to give.
The plan also faces pushback from several other countries, including France, the Netherlands and Greece, and is unlikely to get wide approval in Denmark, according to three EU diplomats and a French presidency official who spoke to POLITICO on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive deliberations.
4. New Russia sanctions
The EU’s 19th package of sanctions, announced last month, has yet to be approved by all member countries. It targets an expanded list of Russian and foreign banks and energy companies, according to a draft annex — including firms from China, the United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Hungary has a long track record of obstructing sanctions (before eventually giving in), and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been bullish about weaning off Russian energy.
5. Berlin brings the heat
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is coming to Copenhagen with a laundry list of grievances, telling party figures last week he plans to bring a “precise list of demands” to limit “constant regulation” from the EU and “put a stick in the wheels of this machine in Brussels.”
It’s expected that chief among his asks will be overturning or weakening the bloc’s combustion engine ban. But that debate is set to split the bloc, with Sweden firmly against abandoning the 2035 deadline to move away from petrol and diesel cars.
What won’t be discussed: Germany’s position on sanctioning Israel. Merz, who has fluctuated between full-throated support for Israel and condemnation of civilian deaths in Gaza, was expected to finally clarify Berlin’s position in Copenhagen, but has since put off a decision, according to an official.
