What security guarantee for Ukraine put European leaders on the table at the meeting with Trump, from the White House. Viktor Orban opposes
August 18, 2025, Washington, US: US President Donald Trump hosts a multilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski and European leaders, on August 18, 2025, in the Eastern House. Photo: Daniel Torok / Zuma / Splashnews.com / Splash / Profimedia
The European leaders who came to the White House on Monday to support Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski at the extraordinary meeting with US President Donald Trump also addressed the “possibilities” of extending the European Union, including the process of accession of Ukraine, which itself will be for Ukraine a security guarantee, according to the European Commission. Spanish press.
“The European leaders discussed the possibilities of expanding the European Union with President Trump and President Zelenski on Monday,” the community executive spokesman Arianna Podesta said.
She added that European leaders “have, of course, stressed the importance of the Ukraine's accession process. This is also important in the context of security guarantees, discussions that, as you know, are still in progress.”
During the meeting at the White House, Zelenski was accompanied by the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Kir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO chief.
The Washington meeting followed the summit that Trump had on Friday in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which he would have presented to his American counterpart the conditions for peace in Ukraine.
According to several sources, Putin demanded that Ukraine be completely retired from the Donbas region (made up of Donetk and Luhansk provinces) and instead freezes the rest of the front line, but the Kremlin leader would have become more flexible than the idea of security guarantees offered by Ukraine by Western States, but by NATO, including NATO and without sending this troops, Ukraine, notes Agerpres.
The community spokesman quoted above also stated that “it belongs to Ukraine and only Ukraine, as a sovereign country, to decide whether to continue on the path of accession.” Arianna Podesta asked the Member States to give the green wave to start the accession negotiations, a reference especially to Hungary.
Viktor Orban, in conflict with the European Commission
Zelenski said he asked Trump to intervene with Hungarian Conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orban not to block Ukraine's accession to the EU.
Orban opposes this accession for several reasons for the situation of the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia, the damages that the Hungarian economy would suffer and the blocking of most European funds for Hungary by the European Commission.
The Community executive challenges Orban's sovereign policy and accuses him of violating the “rule of law” by actions such as rejecting illegal migrants, limiting the rights of the LGBT community or adopting a legislation that restricts foreign financing for NGOs and press in Hungary.
From the European cohesion funds to which Brussels prevented Hungary, access was unlocked only one third at the end of 2023, when Hungary then threatened to block EU help for Ukraine in the War with Russia. But the funds related to the National Plan of Redress and Resility (PNRR) of Hungary remained 100%blocked.
The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, also said this week that the process of Ukraine's accession to the EU “must advance.”
In a statement published on August 12, the EU member states, except for Hungary, mentioned “the right of Ukraine to choose their own fate” and have committed to continue to support this country on its way to EU.
