EU may open first negotiating cluster with Ukraine and Moldova on 15 June, Politico says
On 15 June, the European Union may open the first cluster in accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova.
Politico reported this, Censor.NET informs.
Details
According to the outlet’s sources, this became possible because Hungary signaled that it would drop its long-standing opposition to Ukraine’s bid.
The opening of the first cluster is scheduled for an intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg on 15 June.
"Kyiv and Chisinau applied for EU membership at the same time, meaning Moldova’s bid can only move forward if Ukraine’s does too," Politico writes.
Talks on Ukraine’s membership accelerated after Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar visited Brussels and met with senior EU officials, one diplomat said.
"Opening clusters requires unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states. Any country can block the process at any stage, either by opposing the first cluster or any of the next steps on the path to membership," the journalists noted.
Background
Earlier, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz backed the start of negotiations on the first cluster of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. He said disputes between Kyiv and Budapest should not affect the process and should be resolved separately.
