The European Union's last summit of the year, which took place from December 14 to December 15, was marked by a major announcement, as the bloc officially set into motion Ukraine's accession talks.
The European Council shared it will be opening accession negotiations with both Ukraine and Moldova, with the decision coming in as somewhat of a surprise, given that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been adamant about vetoing the move in the past. Before the summit, Orban told reporters his opinion about Kiev not being ready to start talks with the bloc hasn't changed. Although he stood by these words, he decided not to participate in the decision at all, which gave the freedom to the remaining 26 Member States to vote in favor of the proposition. However, Hungary rejoined the discussions afterward, blocking the plan to support Ukraine with new funding worth €50 billion. As the decision requires unanimity, the dialog has been postponed until January 2024, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressing that an "operational solution" will be found. Even with this setback, Ukraine rejoiced the earlier news, with President Volodymyr Zelensky calling the accession talks decision a "victory" for his country.
Moreover, the EU also agreed on the 12th package of sanctions against Russia during the summit, which it officially adopted on December 18. The latest sanctions are hitting imported diamonds, liquefied propane, copper and aluminum wire, lithium batteries, and components for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), in addition to exported dual-use products and technologies.
Apart from discussions on the Russia-Ukraine war, which took up most of the summit's agenda, the bloc also granted Georgia a candidate status, while adding that Bosnia and Herzegovina's accession talks will be opened "once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is achieved." The EU further reaffirmed its "commitment to the European future of the six Western Balkans partners." Lastly, Von der Leyen reiterated that the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) must be revised as the bloc has "come to the limits of [its] budget to answer unexpected crises."