In one of the most consequential diplomatic developments of the year, the European Union is preparing to formally open accession negotiations with Ukraine following the lifting of Hungary’s longstanding veto. The move, reported by El País, marks a watershed moment in the war-scarred country’s decadeslong aspiration to join the bloc. The image of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen alongside Hungary’s Péter Magyar in Brussels signals the political realignment that made it possible.
But even as the EU extends one hand eastward, it is tightening its grip with the other. A new EU Returns Regulation — establishing a “European Return Order” and authorizing the creation of detention centers in third countries outside the bloc — has drawn sharp criticism. Greek commentators have called the policy “legally suspended and economically suicidal,” noting its resemblance to hardline US immigration enforcement that has done little to curb irregular migration while fueling underground networks. Meanwhile, off the coast of Crete, the reality on the ground continues: some 101 migrants were rescued from two boats by Frontex assets south of Kaloi Limenes, in a reminder that no policy paper stops desperate people from setting sail.
