EU Begins Preparations to Resume Accession Talks with Ukraine and Moldova After Two Years

Accession Talks May Begin at June 15 EU Ministerial Meeting
Ukraine and Moldova Call for Rapid Membership

The European Union (EU) has begun preparatory work for Ukraine and Moldova to start accession talks, which had been stalled for two years.

According to dpa and other sources, Cyprus, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU for the first half of the year, announced that the initial phase of negotiations—discussing core EU accession standards such as the rule of law, judicial reform, and public administration—could begin as early as the EU ministerial meeting scheduled for June 15 in Luxembourg.

Cyprus emphasized, "This is a significant milestone in the European integration of both countries (Ukraine and Moldova), and it sends a strong message of the EU's unity and determination."

The EU officially launched accession negotiations with the two countries in June 2024, but substantive talks had stalled due to Hungary's veto. However, after pro-Russian former Prime Minister Viktor Orban lost power in the Hungarian general election in April, negotiations were able to resume.

On June 3, Hungary’s new pro-EU Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced that an agreement had been reached with Ukraine to strengthen the rights of the Hungarian minority within Ukraine.

Prime Minister Magyar had repeatedly stated that the dispute over the treatment of the approximately 150,000 ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine must be resolved before Hungary could agree to Ukraine's EU accession process.

To proceed with the accession process for EU candidate countries, unanimous approval from all 27 member states is required.

EU accession talks generally take place over several years, dividing dozens of conditions—including rule of law, human rights, and market openness—into six categories. Progress in negotiations does not guarantee EU membership.

For example, Türkiye began accession negotiations in 2005, but talks have been effectively frozen for years due to concerns over democracy, the rule of law, and fundamental rights.

On June 4, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko welcomed the news in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), calling it "fantastic news" and stating, "We are one step closer to EU membership and are steadily moving toward our goal."

Ukraine applied for EU membership immediately after Russia's invasion in February 2022 and obtained candidate status in June of that year.

Since last year, Ukraine has requested "fast-track accession" for its own security, asking for a confirmed accession date of January 1, 2027. However, major EU member states have expressed reluctance, citing concerns about fairness toward other countries.

Germany proposed granting Ukraine an associate membership without voting rights, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky opposed this, insisting that full membership is essential for European security.

Moldova, which is also concerned about threats from Russia, has expressed hope to join the EU by 2028. It has even suggested that if accession does not occur by then, it may consider unification with Romania.

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This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.