212 deaths due to heat & blocked Ukrainian EU path
The extraordinary heat experienced this week has claimed more than two hundred lives in Hungary, while the government is slowing down Ukraine's EU integration through diplomatic means. Simultaneously, the European Union has begun disbursing a significant credit line to the neighboring country, and new security risks have emerged in the region.
At least 212 people lost their lives as a result of the heat in Hungary during the period from Sunday to Wednesday. The extreme heat strains the body and poses a direct life-threatening risk, particularly to the elderly and those suffering from chronic illnesses.
Alongside the domestic difficulties caused by the heat, the government prevented the acceleration of Ukraine's European Union accession with a foreign policy veto. According to the decision, six new negotiating clusters—thematic groups of chapters—cannot be opened, which would be essential for moving forward with the integration process.
While political negotiations are slowing down, financial assistance continues: the European Commission has transferred the first €3.2 billion installment to Ukraine as part of a €90 billion loan program. Regarding the security situation, according to Ukrainian intelligence, Russian agents are attempting to damage Polish-Ukrainian relations with provocations, and France has seized a Russian tanker near Sicily.
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