The European Union has announced that the accession process for Ukraine and Moldova will officially begin next week. The decision was made during a meeting of ambassadors from the 27 EU member states in Brussels on Friday, paving the way for formal negotiations in Luxembourg on Monday.
In December 2023, EU leaders agreed to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. However, the process was stalled due to opposition from Hungary, under Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has sympathies with Russia, against Kyiv's membership bid.
Both Kyiv and Chisinau (Moldova) view EU membership as an additional layer of protection against Russian aggression. Moscow insists that maintaining control over former Soviet states is key to its national security.
"All member states have agreed to open the first cluster of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova," European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a joint social media post.
Hungary's new government, which took office in May, agreed last week to lift Mr. Orban's veto, allowing the accession process to resume. "This is recognition of the determination, courage, and effort both countries have shown in pushing reforms, even in the face of enormous challenges," Mr. Costa and Ms. von der Leyen added.
Formal accession negotiations with Kyiv were launched in June 2024, beginning a complex process that typically spans years, covering sectors from agriculture to rule of law. The move is largely symbolic, aiming to show strong support for Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
Hungary's new Prime Minister, Peter Magyar, reached an agreement with Kyiv last week on the rights of the ethnic Hungarian minority in Ukraine, a long-standing issue between the two neighbors. However, Mr. Magyar said Hungary does not support a fast-track EU accession process for Ukraine. He stated that Budapest would hold a referendum on Ukraine's membership if the country "succeeds in closing all 33 negotiation chapters within the next 10 to 15 years."
Negotiations will begin on Monday with the opening of the "fundamentals" cluster of the process, covering basic principles such as rule of law that the two candidate countries must adhere to.
