The EU begins accession negotiations with war-scarred Ukraine and Moldova

This Tuesday, the European Union began accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, just two years after they applied for membership, in a context marked by the war in Ukraine.

“This is truly a historic moment for my country,” said Ukraine’s deputy prime minister. Olga Stefanishina, who noted that the start of the talks gives Ukrainians “the morale to continue opposing” Russia. Stefanishina believes her country can join the community club before 2030.

The EU today began accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, two years after granting them candidate country status to join the community club.

The negotiations began after Hungary lifted the veto it had maintained in recent weeks in response to its request for Ukraine to respect the rights of the country’s Hungarian minority.

A demand reiterated today by your Minister for European Affairs, Janos Bokaand notes that Budapest has a list of eleven points that it demands from Kiev, of which “the most important” is to “preserve” the legal framework that the institutions of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine had in 2015, especially those related with cultural and educational field.

For her part, the President of the European Commission (EC), Ursula von der LeyenUkraine and Moldova warned on Tuesday, on the occasion of the official opening of EU accession negotiations, that it will be “a difficult road” but that it offers “tremendous opportunities”.

The President of the European Council, Charles Michelhas said that opening accession negotiations is a “strategic step” for the European Union, but has stressed that the process starting today will require both countries to implement “substantial reforms”.

Finally, Spain has appreciated the “historic moment” of opening negotiations and ensured that this is the “fruit” of the work done during the Spanish Presidency of the Council at the end of 2023.