Ukraine may not open all clusters of EU accession negotiations in July 2026
Ukraine’s plan to open all negotiation clusters as part of the EU accession process in July 2026 may be derailed due to a lack of time to coordinate positions and carry out the necessary procedures.
According to sources, the process of opening the chapters is complex and must be based on the merit principle, as well as involve detailed negotiations between Ukraine and EU member states.
Diplomats expressed doubt that all necessary discussions could be completed by July 14, which had previously been considered a possible date for opening the next negotiation clusters for Ukraine and Moldova.
They emphasize that even under a favorable scenario, the process will not allow for all clusters to be opened simultaneously.
According to sources, the Ukrainian Embassy to the EU may soon receive requests from the country holding the EU presidency to prepare negotiating positions for each cluster. However, this does not yet mean that the opening of these routes will begin soon.
One of the diplomats suggested that:
- only some of the clusters may be opened in July
- the “External Relations” and “Internal Market” clusters are cited as the most likely
- the full opening of all clusters by mid-July seems unlikely
EU accession negotiations involve the gradual opening of thematic clusters covering various areas of reform. Their opening depends on the alignment of positions between Ukraine and all EU member states.
This was reported by several EU diplomats in comments to journalists in Brussels.
