French President Emmanuel Macron met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday in an effort to resolve the deadlock surrounding Ukraine before the upcoming EU summit. The talks, held at the Elysee Palace, aimed to discuss various subjects on the agenda for the summit, including European support for Ukraine.

The meeting between Macron and Orban marked a significant step, as it demonstrated Western Europe's willingness to engage with the Hungarian leader, who has maintained close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin despite Moscow's recent invasion of Ukraine. Fears have emerged that Orban might block crucial decisions related to Ukraine at the EU summit on December 14-15, prompting Macron's intervention as one of Europe's influential figures.

In a letter sent earlier this week to EU chief Charles Michel, Orban called for the postponement of key decisions concerning Ukraine, such as additional financial aid and the commencement of EU membership negotiations. He argued that the lack of consensus among EU leaders would inevitably lead to failure, suggesting that these matters should be dropped from the summit agenda for the sake of unity.

Hungary, due to its veto power in the EU, holds the potential to block the proposed decisions. Orban's bilateral meeting with Putin in China in October has raised concerns among fellow EU leaders, who accuse him of attempting to use the situation as leverage to gain access to EU funding.

Since Hungary's track record on corruption and perceived democratic backsliding has raised concerns within the European Commission, nearly 22 billion euros in EU funds have been withheld from the country. However, in November, Brussels indicated that it may release up to 10 billion euros, citing improvements in judicial independence. Orban's previous reluctance to fully support Ukraine and his attempts to weaken sanctions against Russia have also drawn criticism.

Given the critical nature of the situation and the potential consequences for Ukraine, Macron's meeting with Orban aims to establish a unified stance among EU leaders. The discussions centered on finding a consensus on the EU's strategy towards Ukraine, as unanimity is required for most EU decisions. The outcome of these talks will likely set the stage for the upcoming EU summit, where decisions regarding Ukraine's financial aid and EU membership talks will be at stake.