EU gives Ukraine and Moldova ‘agreement in principle’ to launch accession talks on June 25

The opening of negotiations is a step in a long and arduous accession process. A possible entry into the EU of Ukraine, a country of more than 40 million inhabitants and an agricultural power, poses many difficulties, starting with financing.

The ambassadors of the 27 countries of the European Union gave their “agreement in principle” to the opening of formal accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. The latter will begin on June 25, announced Friday June 14, the Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU. This decision must still be formally validated at a meeting of European ministers on June 21. And in the Netherlands, approval by Parliament is necessary.

The President of the European Council Charles Michel welcomed this step. “We keep our promises and we will support you along the path to membership,” he said to these two countries, on the social network X.

However, the opening of negotiations is a step in a long and arduous accession process. A possible entry into the EU of Ukraine, a country of more than 40 million inhabitants and an agricultural power, poses many difficulties, starting with financing.

The heads of state and government of the European Union had opened the way for such accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova in mid-December 2023. But Hungary had until then slowed down the formal opening of the negotiations with Ukraine, judging that the conditions were not met. The European Commission, for its part, estimated on June 7 that Ukraine and Moldova had fulfilled all the prerequisites for opening formal negotiations. The European executive had in fact demanded measures from kyiv to fight corruption and the influence of the oligarchs.

The EU granted candidate status for membership to Ukraine in June 2022, in a highly symbolic gesture a few months after the start of the war triggered by Moscow, as well as to neighboring Moldova.

But the opening of negotiations is a step in a long and arduous accession process. A possible entry into the EU of Ukraine, a country of more than 40 million inhabitants and an agricultural power, poses many difficulties, starting with financing.

The EU granted candidate status to Georgia in December 2023. She gave the green light last March to accession negotiations with Bosnia. Such negotiations have also been opened with Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia.