Europe Today: EU eyes expansion at high-stakes EU-Western Balkans summit

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Europe Today: EU eyes expansion at high-stakes EU-Western Balkans summit  EU and Western Balkans leaders are gathering in Montenegro ahead of a high-level summit focused on EU enlargement. Montenegro, the host nation, is also a frontrunner and could join the bloc as early as 2028. Our EU Editor, Maria Tadeo, reports live from Tivat.  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2026/06/04/europe-today-eu-eyes-expansion-at-high-stakes-eu-western-balkans-summit  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

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00:14Hello there, good morning. It is Thursday the 4th of June. I'm Maeve McMahon and this

00:19is Europe Today, your morning dose of European news and analysis live here on Euronews.

00:25Coming up, Hungary is set to lift its two-year-long veto on Ukraine's bid to join the European

00:31Union after the Hungarian Prime Minister Petr Maillard announced a deal with Kyiv on minority

00:36rights. The news comes as NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte holds a surprise visit in Kyiv

00:42and as EU leaders gather in Montenegro for talks on EU enlargement. We'll be live in TVAT.

00:47Plus, after talks in Washington, Israel and Lebanon have agreed to renew a fragile ceasefire.

00:53That's according to a joint US statement. Under the deal, Iran-backed Hezbollah would

00:58have to halt its attacks and remove operatives from the south. The announcement comes just

01:03hours after Kuwait International Airport suspended all commercial flights after Iranian drones

01:08caused severe damage. And bad news for Berlin. Despite lobbying hard, Germany has failed to

01:15secure a seat on the UN Security Council, with Portugal and Austria receiving more votes for

01:21the two Western European seats starting in 2027. The last time Germany was on the UN Security

01:26Council was back in 2020. But first, European and some Western Balkan leaders are gathering in

01:32Montenegro ahead of a high-level summit focused on expanding the European Union. Montenegro,

01:38the host, is also a front-runner here, hoping to join the bloc as soon as 2028. Now, while not

01:44officially on the agenda, Ukraine will also dominate the talks. For more, we can go straight to the

01:49coastal town of TVAS, where our Europe editor, Maria Tadeo, is reporting live for us. Maria,

01:54great to have you with us. Look, we've seen, though, many, many meetings like this in the past,

01:59with not a lot of deliberals. Will this time be different?

02:05Well, good morning, Maeve. And indeed, because if you look at the history of accession when it comes

02:09to the EU Western Balkans, it's one of delays, disappointment and frustration. But the message that

02:16the European institutions will deliver and the message that the head of the European Council,

02:20Antonio Costa, will hammer down is that now there is real momentum because bringing these countries,

02:25the six-partner countries, closer to the European political union through the EU is now a geopolitical

02:33imperative. It is also a need when it comes to the security infrastructure of Europe. Now,

02:38that is, as I say, the message that Antonio Costa, who will co-chair a dinner today, but also a

02:43summit

02:44tomorrow will deliver. And he has been on a tour of the Western Balkans throughout this week. It is

02:49also no coincidence that this summit is happening in Montenegro because this is a country that is now

02:54clearly seen as the front runner. Of course, 28 by 28. The idea that there could be a new member

03:01state in the European Union by 2028. And I can tell you just anecdotally, Maeve, yesterday when we

03:07landed in this country at the airport at dinner also, everyone knew and everyone was aware that this

03:12summit is happening. There have been many conversations that we had around the idea of

03:16joining and it's pretty much taken as a given here. There is this aspiration to join this European

03:22Union. But of course, we know that this region is diverse and it is also complex. It's not the same

03:27message for every of the participating countries. But the message, as I say, from the institutions will

03:32be there is now real momentum. It is an imperative. Reforms are still needed both ways, by the way,

03:38not just the Western Balkans, but also within the European Union to get this done. And of course,

03:43there has been many ideas floated. Now, thinking outside the box in many ways, still continuing to

03:48say that this is a merit-based process. It is based on heavy reforms, but also, as you know,

03:53multiple suggestions that perhaps you could look into memberships that go step by step. New countries

03:58that could join without the full rights, perhaps joining without a veto. The idea put forward by the

04:04German chancellor who will be here alongside the French president of association with the European

04:10Union. And the capitals, of course, also matter because they will have the final say. This has to

04:15be approved unanimously. But as I say, going into the summit, the message very much from the European

04:20institution is there is real momentum. Now is the time to push forward and move forward. There is now

04:26an imperative to bring these countries closer to the union. They cannot stay stuck in limbo. But as I

04:32mentioned, this is a complex scenario. And this region is very diverse in its aspirations,

04:37but also the many challenges. Indeed, Maria. And just while you're there, there have been some

04:42developments overnight. Peter Mayer, the Hungarian prime minister, announcing a deal on minorities

04:47between Hungary and Ukraine. Is Budapest about to lift its veto? Well, major news overnight,

04:55as you say, because the Hungarian prime minister, Peter Magyar, has announced what he claims to be

05:00is a comprehensive deal between the Ukrainians and the Hungarians when it comes to the linguistical

05:07rights. He's talking about the educational rights, the political and cultural rights of the Hungarian

05:12minority in Ukraine. He says that because Ukraine has now agreed to implement some of these changes

05:19legally, Hungary will be in a position to lift its veto now going on for more than three years for

05:25formal negotiations for Ukraine to join the bloc to finally begin. This is a politically charged issue

05:32for both Hungary and Ukraine. For the Hungarians, we should note for our European viewers, this is seen

05:38as a matter of protecting Hungarians in Ukraine. For the Hungarian prime minister, it was very much about

05:43a domestic message that he is defending the rights of the ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine. And that was very

05:49much what Peter Magyar put out in a social media post yesterday saying, claiming that he has accomplished

05:55now more in three weeks than Viktor Orban ever did in 10 years. That referring to this deal with the

06:01Ukrainians, but also the package that was agreed with the European institutions last week, unblocking more than

06:0760 billion euros in funding for the country. This also matters because it will have a knock-on effect on

06:14Moldova. Moldova got stuck in this limbo between Hungary and Ukraine. They will now push through two

06:19and European sources telling Euronews last night that this is a win-win for everyone. It will be a win

06:25for Hungary. It will be a win for Ukraine. They speak of not just concessions on behalf of the Ukrainians.

06:31And they also say that this would point to a return of unanimity of 27 and the drop of constant

06:37vetoes

06:37by Hungary. The summit that will be taking place in mid-June is now being perceived and portrayed

06:43as a celebration of what European sources told us will reflect of a new European unity.

06:49And just briefly, Maria, if I may, how has Ukraine reacted?

06:53Well, look, Maeve, that is a fundamental question because at this hour, at this point,

06:58we do not know what is in this deal. We have not heard from the Ukrainian president himself,

07:03Volodymyr Zelensky, but we did hear just this morning over the past 30 minutes from the Ukrainian

07:08foreign minister who is speaking of gratitude, gratitude when it comes to the European Union,

07:13but also signaling a new chapter in relations when it comes to Hungary. The prime minister of Ukraine

07:19also saying that this puts the country now one step closer to joining the European Union. But we should

07:25make one thing very clear, and this is extremely important, of course, for our viewers in Euronews

07:29this morning. This does not signal and does not mean that Ukraine will join overnight or that the path

07:34to membership will be easy. In fact, it will be very difficult, certainly in the context of the war

07:40with Russia and this potential peace settlement that may come up, but also because the Hungarians

07:45are indicating they will lift this veto, and that is significant. But Peter Mader also took a hard line

07:50yesterday saying that he does not believe and does not support an accelerated membership and fast track

07:56for Ukraine. We know that is a position that many of the big member states also share, but he also

08:00indicated, even in the case, even if Ukraine manages to complete this very difficult and at times

08:06tortuous path towards reform, he will put this matter to a referendum before the Hungarian people.

08:12Okay, Maria, today we're putting it all in context for us there live from Montenegro. Thank you so much

08:16for joining us. And we'll be back again tomorrow with Maria with her exclusive interview with the EU

08:20Council President António Kosza. But Ukraine, staying in Ukraine, Russia has fired a massive drone

08:26and missile attack towards the country, killing 22 people this Wednesday. It comes in response to

08:32Ukraine targeting the city of St. Petersburg, as President Putin was hosting his annual economic

08:36forum, a bit like the Russian Davos. Ukrainian drones also struck energy and military sites in the

08:42Russian port city. This all as the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte was making his surprise trip to Kiev.

08:47For more on all this, I'm joined here on set by our Ukraine correspondent. That is, of course,

08:52Sasha Bakalina. Good morning, Sasha. Just tell us, what was the purpose of Mark Rutte's surprise visit?

08:57First and foremost, to discuss the insufficient supplies of anti-ballistic air defence for Ukraine.

09:04Now, Russia knows very well that this indeed is one of those very rare gaps in Ukraine's air

09:10defence, because this is where Ukraine, of course, relies on the US. Well, Duma Zelensky said that

09:14Russia has the capacity to produce 120 ballistic missiles per month. Now, just to compare, the US

09:21producers have the capacity to make 60-65 PAC-3 missiles for Patriot systems. This is just half

09:29of what Russia can actually produce and launch at Ukraine. And this, of course, causes a very long

09:35waiting time for anybody applying for those missiles. Let's take a listen to what Vladimir Zelenskyy had to say.

09:44The waiting list for PAC-2, PAC-3, and certainly for the Patriot systems is measured in years. And so,

09:52to be honest, we wouldn't be able to receive this new delivery until around 2030. That didn't sit well

09:59with me. And it didn't sit well with our team. We discussed what alternatives we could find. This involves

10:06an agreement with certain countries to swap places in the queue where one country could give us its

10:12spot, and we could take that spot and receive the systems earlier.

10:19Giving Kyiv's response and also Kyiv's development of homemade weapons. Zelenskyy also confirmed that Kyiv is

10:25once again asking the US to provide Ukraine with the license to produce those anti-ballistic defense missiles.

10:33And Sasha, Mark, with his visit, came yesterday just as Ukrainian forces were striking the oil refinery in St. Petersburg,

10:40just as delegates were arriving for Vladimir Putin's economic forum.

10:43Yeah, indeed. That was a clear demonstration also of Ukraine's long-range striking capabilities,

10:48because that oil terminal is over 1,000 kilometers away from Ukraine's border. And Ukraine specifically said that

10:55Volodymyr Zelenskyy insisted that this strike is justified also because Kyiv is targeting military and energy,

11:03specifically oil facilities. But also this proves big progress. This is something that was recognized by the

11:08Secretary General of NATO. Let's take a listen.

11:12Ukraine is now so successful that Putin is only able to organize a 9th of May parade with an official

11:19presidential decree by this president. So this is basically how far you got.

11:25And I think for two hours, you allowed him to do it. And then ended in one hour, 55 minutes.

11:30So he didn't take a risk.

11:32Mark Rutte there speaking from Kyiv. And before that, of course, our Sasha Vekalina. Thank you so much for that

11:36update. But now,

11:37moving on after another round of negotiations, Israel and Lebanon have agreed to implement a ceasefire

11:44contingent on a cessation of Hezbollah fire and the removal of Hezbollah operatives from southern Lebanon.

11:50It comes as Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Arachi, says the US-Israel war with Iran will only end when it

11:58also

11:58ends in Lebanon. For the view from Beirut, we're joined now by Ghassan Salami, a huge academic and political

12:04figure in Lebanon, currently serving as the Minister of Culture. Good morning, Minister. Thank you so much

12:09for joining us here this morning. So first question, the obvious one. What is your reaction to this agreement?

12:14Is it a genuine breakthrough or just another temporary pause in the fighting?

12:19We hope it's genuine. We had the ceasefire already on April the 16th that was not implemented. So now

12:28the proof of the genuine nature of this new agreement is in its implementation. And therefore,

12:36the agreement is still fresh a few hours old. So it's probably too early to decide

12:43how serious it is. But we certainly take it seriously.

12:47And that's the problem. The previous ceasefire did not work with many calling it just an armed truce.

12:53It was not even a truce. I mean, hundreds of people have been killed during the six weeks,

13:00the six past weeks after the announcement of the latest or penultimate ceasefire agreement. This new one

13:10has a direct commitment by the mediator that is the United States. And it has a number of points

13:18that need to be implemented on the ground. We need also to have the two governments implementing it,

13:27each on its side. We are trying, we will be trying to implement our side of the agreement. And we

13:34hope

13:34that on the other side, where we hear some ministers in the Israeli cabinet already refusing the agreement,

13:42which is not very helpful. And we need also to have a common interpretation of the various

13:52paragraphs in the agreement. And I hope that some of the sort of far-fetched interpretations I heard

14:00this morning from the Israeli prime minister and the minister of defense are only for public

14:07consumption, not their real position. And of course, there's tension, isn't there,

14:12between President Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, and then Lebanon, you're stuck right in the middle.

14:18We are, we are, but without American pressure, we are not expecting the Israeli government to move

14:27forward towards such agreement. So it is under American sustained pressure that we can expect

14:37a real implementation this time. And will Hezbollah comply with the terms, do you think?

14:42They have been silent so far, but we expect them to express their position during the day.

14:50Because it's true that the agreement calls for ceasefire on both sides,

14:55and for the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters from south of the Lithuania. We are expecting their

15:03reaction during the day. And just describe the damage done so far by Israel. The last time we

15:08spoke here on Europe today, you described it as an incursion. That's how they put it. But this

15:16incursion has been bloody. And as Minister of Culture, I should say that it also destroyed

15:2660 villages entirely, flattened out. And a number of very important heritage positions have been

15:35also hit, including the Chateau du Beaufort, to which Lebanese are very attached. Not to mention

15:44the Shema position, which is a very important religious position in south Lebanon. So we hope that this

15:56time implementation will be serious. We are going to implement the government side of the agreement.

16:05We hope that we have a clear answer from Hezbollah during the day. And we hope that the Israelis don't

16:14over-interpret what's in it in a way that becomes unacceptable to us.

16:20OK. Minister Ghassan Salami, thank you so much for joining us here this morning on Europe Today Live,

16:24on Euronews. But now, moving on. Berlin is licking its wounds after failing to secure a rotating spot

16:32on the UN Security Council. For more on this big blow for Berlin, we're joined by our very own

16:37Stefan Krobey, who despite his German accent, or his American accent, excuse me, is actually German.

16:42You've got a wonderfully fluent English accent. Stefan, just tell us, you know, you are German,

16:47as I said. How are Germans reacting to this news? Well, I have to admit, Maeve, for Germany,

16:52this one hurts, right? Germany failing to win a seat on the Security Council is not just a

16:59diplomatic, an obscure diplomatic blow. For Germans, it feels like something bigger. It's

17:05a reality check. For years, Germans have told themselves that the country is one of the world's

17:12indispensable nations. It's Europe's economic engine. It's a champion of international cooperation,

17:19a country others look to for leadership. Yet when the votes were counted at the UN,

17:24the world looked elsewhere. And perhaps Germans shouldn't be surprised. For too long, Germany

17:30assumed that its economic power would automatically translate into political influence. Germans believe

17:37that because they paid the bills, because they supported international institutions, and because

17:43they praised multilateralism, other countries would naturally back them. Yet clearly, many do not.

17:50So the uncomfortable truth is that Germany's international standing in the world may not be

17:56what Germans think it is. Of course, Germany remains a powerful country. One vote at the UN will not change

18:03that. But symbols matter in diplomacy. And this symbol, Maeve, was painful. It was painful. And also for

18:10Friedrich Merz, you know, the Chancellor. Well, look, for Friedrich Merz, the vote was absolutely embarrassing.

18:16Merz has made rebuilding Germany's international standing a central theme of his chancellorship.

18:23After years of criticism that Germany is hesitant, inward-looking, he has presented himself as a leader

18:30willing to put Germany at the center of world affairs. Now, losing such an important international

18:36vote is exactly that kind of setback opponents can point to as evidence that his strategy is not

18:45delivering any results. So this failure at the UN only further weakens his domestic

18:52position in Berlin, which is already fragile and might fuel attempts within his own Christian

18:59Democratic Party, Maeve, to get rid of him.

19:01Thank you so much for that update there. And thank you so much for tuning in to us this morning

19:08on

19:08Europe Today. Any questions or comments or points on any of the stories we're covering, you can contact

19:14the team here at europetoday at euronews.com. That is our email address. You can also listen

19:18to Europe Today as a podcast or read it as a newsletter. Thanks so much for tuning in. Stay with

19:23us here on

19:24Euronews.

19:54Stay with us next time and thanks everybody.

20:01Bye now!

20:01Euronews!

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