But Prime Minister Péter Magyar personally removed language from the European Council's summit declaration calling for a faster accession timetable, arguing that Hungary adheres to a merit-based approach and that public opinion has not shifted overnight. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he understood Magyar's position, even as Warsaw continues to back Ukraine's eventual EU membership. The agreement nonetheless allowed all 27 EU member states to endorse the opening of the “fundamentals” cluster, which covers the rule of law, democratic institutions, fundamental rights and public-administration reform. The summit also backed a 12-month renewal of EU economic sanctions on Russia, replacing the previous six-month cycle. The compromise followed a Hungary-Ukraine agreement on minority rights, a key obstacle to talks, covering the status of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine’s western Zakarpattia region, which Budapest had repeatedly cited.