BRUSSELS: The EU wants to begin membership negotiations with Ukraine, but one country is blocking it. Irritation is growing, says expert.

NEWS ANALYSIS: We last saw it at the EU summit in Copenhagen. 26 of the 27 member states want to move forward in a process that could see Ukraine and Moldova become EU members. But they are being stopped by one country: Hungary, led by controversial Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Other times, it is neighboring Slovakia and its pro-Russian Prime Minister Robert Fico who are the stumbling block – for example, in matters of new sanctions against Russia.