All EU Member States Approve First Negotiation Cluster for Ukraine and Moldova

All 27 European Union member states have unanimously agreed to launch formal negotiations on the first cluster of issues regarding the accession of Ukraine and Moldova into the bloc, Reuters reported, citing Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko on June 4.

Svyrydenko celebrated the milestone online, stating that both nations are now “one step closer to the EU membership” and are steadily moving toward their ultimate integration goals.

The diplomatic breakthrough follows a vital resolution between Ukraine and Hungary over a long-running bilateral dispute. Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced that Budapest and Kyiv had successfully reached an agreement concerning the rights of the 100,000-strong ethnic Hungarian minority residing in Ukraine, Reuters wrote.

Magyar had previously maintained that resolving this specific dispute was an absolute prerequisite for Hungary to drop its veto on Ukraine’s accession path.

Cyprus, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, stated that it has already initiated technical preparations to formally open the first group of negotiating chapters, according to Reuters. This initial “Fundamentals” cluster explicitly covers critical domestic reforms, including democratic standards, judicial independence, and rule-of-law protocols that both candidate countries must meet.

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Reuters notes that the Cypriot presidency characterized the unanimous consensus as a significant milestone that sends a powerful message of European unity and determination. Both Ukraine and Moldova have accelerated their bids to integrate into the 27-member union after enduring more than four years of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The breakthrough aligns with a timeline previously outlined by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas. She stated that opening all six negotiation clusters by the summer serves as a crucial investment in European security rather than an act of charity.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos similarly projected that the opening of the initial cluster would take place before the conclusion of the Cypriot presidency on June 30, paving the way for the remaining five clusters to potentially open in July.

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