Pressure mounts on Hungary to unblock EU membership talks and funds for Ukraine

By LORNE COOK
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — Pressure is mounting on Hungary not to veto the start of European Union membership talks and the supply of economic aid to Ukraine at a pivotal EU summit this week. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wants the issue to be struck from the agenda. Ukraine is desperate for funds and military assistance as the war bogs down and wrangling in the U.S. Congress holds up important assistance. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday that “this is not the moment to weaken our support to Ukraine.” Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen says Hungary’s recent actions have been “very, very deplorable.”