EU says to resume membership talks with Ukraine on Monday

BRUSSELS: The EU will resume membership talks with Ukraine on Monday, the bloc announced, after Hungary lifted the veto imposed by its previous pro-Russian leader.

“All member states agreed to open the first accession negotiations cluster with Ukraine and Moldova,” European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said in a joint social media post on Friday.

The announcement came after Hungary’s new government agreed to drop its predecessor’s longstanding veto against Kyiv.

That was put in place by former nationalist prime minister Viktor Orban, who was ousted in an election in April.

“This is a recognition of the determination, courage and hard work shown by both countries in advancing reforms, even in the face of immense challenges,” Costa and von der Leyen said.

“Enlargement is a strategic choice,” they said, adding: “In a world marked by growing uncertainty, a larger European Union is in our common interest.”

Entry negotiations with Kyiv were formally opened back in June 2024, kickstarting a detailed, complex process that usually takes years and involves negotiations on everything from agriculture to the rule of law.

The move was largely symbolic, intended as a powerful show of support for Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

No quick entry 

“Ukraine is defending itself and, in doing so, all of Europe,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said after the EU announcement.

“As we have said, 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.”

Moldovan President Maia Sandu added: “I welcome the decision to open the first cluster of accession negotiations on Monday. Moldova is ready to open all of them – we’ve done the work, and we’ll keep delivering reforms.”

Orban, whose government was close to Russia and bitterly opposed to Ukrainian EU membership, blocked any concrete progress on Ukraine’s accession process.

New Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar dropped the objection after striking a deal with Kyiv on the rights of Ukraine’s Hungarian ethnic minority, which had long been a thorn in ties between the neighbours.

But Magyar has said Hungary does not support a fast-track procedure for Ukraine to join the 27-member EU.

He also said the country would hold a referendum on Ukraine’s membership, should it “succeed in closing all 33 accession chapters within the next 10 to 15 years”.

“The opening of the first negotiation cluster is only the first step in a long and complex process,” he cautioned, citing the case of Montenegro, whose “accession process began in 2012, and although significant progress has been made, they are still not members of the EU”.

Talks will begin on Monday with the opening of the “fundamentals” section of the process, the two EU leaders said in their statement.

This covers basic principles such as rule of law that the two candidate countries will be expected to adhere to.