Pressure mounts on Hungary not to veto EU membership talks with Ukraine

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell speaks before the meeting of EU foreign ministers (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Pressure mounted on Hungary on Monday not to veto the opening of European Union membership talks and the supply of economic aid to war-torn Ukraine at a pivotal EU summit this week, after Prime Minister Viktor Orban demanded that the issue be struck from the agenda.

With tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance blocked by Senate Republicans in the United States, Ukraine is desperate to ensure longer-term financial and military assistance as fighting in its almost two-year war with Russia bogs down.