BRUSSELS: The European Union is due to move Ukraine’s bid to join the bloc onto the next stage on Monday, but officials have warned that full membership remains a distant prospect.
Foreign ministers from the 27-nation bloc will formally kick off negotiations with Ukraine and neighbouring Moldova on aligning with a first “cluster” of EU laws.
Ukraine’s progress had been stalled for nearly two years as Hungary’s nationalist leader Viktor Orban vetoed all progress. His defeat by rival Peter Magyar in April opened the way.
“They have delivered and it was really time for us to do this,” EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos said.
Despite the fanfare, a mammoth workload still lies ahead to align Ukraine’s laws, institutions and standards with the EU’s. Negotiations cover 35 “chapters” grouped into six clusters, ranging from agriculture to justice and security.
“This is a long process. Ukraine is at war. It has organised crime issues to solve. It would be the third biggest country in the EU,” a European diplomat told the media.
Hungary’s Magyar has pledged a referendum on Kyiv joining if Ukraine completes all negotiations within the next 10 to 15 years.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed making Ukraine an “associate member” without voting rights while it goes through the lengthy process. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted on full membership.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the opening of negotiations brought “significant political and moral support” to his country.
