European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced that European Union member states have agreed to advance accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, boosting the countries’ membership bids after two years of stalled progress.
“All Member States agreed to open the first accession negotiations cluster with Ukraine and Moldova,” von der Leyen wrote in a post on X on June 12, adding that the process will begin on June 15 with the cluster on EU “fundamentals.”
“The backbone of the accession process. It covers the core values and principles on which the EU is built, from the rule of law to strong democratic institutions,” she added in reference to this cluster, which is usually opened first and closed last.
Officially, the talks started in June 2024, but the opening and closing of six clusters, which include 33 policy chapters, have been on hold for the better part of two years due to a Hungarian veto, ostensibly over the alleged lack of rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
While newly appointed Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has been almost as outspoken about the issue as his predecessor, Viktor Orban, momentum appeared to pick up on accession talks for Kyiv and Chisinau after Hungarian and Ukrainian diplomats reached a deal on Hungarian minority rights earlier this month.
Ukraine and Moldova have been paired throughout the EU accession process, with Brussels advancing their membership bids in tandem.
Both former Soviet republics face territorial challenges linked to Russia. Ukraine continues to contend with Moscow’s occupation of around one fifth of its territory, while Moldova has long grappled with the Russia-backed breakaway region of Transdniester.
As Ukraine continues to resist Russia’s full-scale invasion, now well into its fifth year, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made EU membership a strategic priority as part of a broader effort to steer the country further away from Moscow.
“I thank all our partners in the EU and every leader personally for this strong step for the sake of Europe,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram following von der Leyen’s announcement. “Ukraine is doing what is necessary, and it is important that the EU is also keeping its word. The opening of the first cluster is significant political and moral support for our state and our people.”
While the EU decision was welcomed by both Kyiv and Chisinau, they had been hoping that all six negotiating clusters would be opened immediately after a deal on the Hungarian minority issue was reached.
In his Telegram post, Zelenskyy suggested that “everything” was in place to open talks on all six.
Von der Leyen said the opening of the first cluster was “a recognition of the determination, courage and hard work shown by both countries in advancing reforms,” but did not mention when discussions on the remaining clusters might begin
Speaking to RFE/RL on condition of anonymity earlier this month, diplomatic sources in Brussels said that they were unlikely to be opened until later in 2026.
