The EU may announce the start of accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova as early as June 15 – Politico
The European Union is preparing to take a historic step in the enlargement process—officially opening the first negotiation cluster for Ukraine and Moldova. This significant decision, which will mark the actual start of substantive membership negotiations, is scheduled to be adopted during an intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg on June 15, 2026.
The main catalyst for Brussels’ optimistic forecasts was Budapest’s unexpected willingness to withdraw its long-standing objections to Kyiv and Chisinau’s applications for European integration, as reported to Politico by four European diplomats.
This compromise is linked to the results of recent bilateral consultations between Ukrainian and Hungarian experts. During these closed-door meetings, the Ukrainian delegation presented viable compromise proposals on most items from Viktor Orbán’s government’s extensive list of demands, which concerned the protection of the rights of the Hungarian national minority in Ukraine. As one European diplomat noted on condition of anonymity, Budapest is no longer insisting on the immediate adoption of new laws in Ukraine before the conference begins, agreeing to resolve the remaining technical details through further dialogue.
Despite these positive signals, official Budapest is maintaining diplomatic restraint and has not publicly confirmed final agreement. In particular, a Hungarian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, emphasized that “a decision has not yet been made, negotiations are ongoing, and a final agreement has not been reached.” It is expected that by the end of this week, the ambassadors of all EU member states will have formed a unified, consolidated position. To this end, Kyiv is required to present its European partners with updated plans for key domestic reforms and additional progress on minority rights. After that, the agreed-upon issue will be submitted for approval in Luxembourg, where consensus and unanimous support from all 27 EU member states will be required to open the first cluster.
This was reported by Politico.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, during which the parties discussed Ukraine’s integration into the European Union and strengthening the protection of Ukrainian airspace.
The European Commission plans to propose on June 16 to open the first cluster of negotiations on the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the European Union.
The EU may announce the start of accession negotiations for Ukraine and Moldova as early as June 15 due to a shift in Hungary’s position
The European Union is preparing to take a historic step in the enlargement process—officially opening the first negotiation cluster for Ukraine and Moldova. This important decision, which will mark the actual start of substantive membership negotiations, is scheduled to be adopted during an intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg on June 15, 2026. This was reported by the
The main catalyst for Brussels’ optimistic forecasts was Budapest’s unexpected willingness to drop its long-standing objections to Kyiv and Chisinau’s applications for European integration, as reported to Politico by four European diplomats. This compromise is linked to the results of recent bilateral consultations between Ukrainian and Hungarian experts. During these closed-door meetings, the Ukrainian delegation presented viable compromise proposals on most items from the extensive list of demands by Viktor Orbán’s government, which concerned the protection of the rights of the Hungarian national minority in Ukraine. As one European diplomat noted on condition of anonymity, Budapest is no longer insisting on the immediate adoption of new laws in Ukraine before the conference begins, agreeing to resolve the remaining technical details through further dialogue.
Despite these positive signals, official Budapest is maintaining diplomatic restraint and has not publicly confirmed final agreement. In particular, a Hungarian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, emphasized that “a decision has not yet been made, negotiations are ongoing, and a final agreement has not been reached.” It is expected that by the end of this week, the ambassadors of all EU member states will have formed a unified, consolidated position. To this end, Kyiv is required to present its European partners with updated plans for key domestic reforms and additional progress on minority rights. After that, the agreed-upon issue will be submitted for approval in Luxembourg, where consensus and unanimous support from all 27 EU member states will be required to open the first cluster.
