EU opens accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova after Hungary lifts its veto

The European Union formally opened the first block of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova on Monday 15 June during intergovernmental conferences in Luxembourg. The move follows Friday's agreement among member states and ends a long political impasse caused by the former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, whose nationalist government had blocked progress on Ukraine's file. Orbán's electoral defeat to Peter Magyar cleared the way for a deal on the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.

“This is the biggest step towards Ukraine's accession since December 2023.”

What was opened

The first cluster, labelled "Fundamentals" in EU terminology, covers rule of law, judicial independence, fundamental rights, democratic institutions, public procurement, statistics and financial control. Specifically, chapters 23 (judiciary and fundamental rights), 24 (justice, freedom and security), 5 (public procurement), 18 (statistics) and 32 (financial control) were opened. The Fundamentals cluster is always the first to be opened but also the last to be closed, because its reforms underpin the whole accession process.

“Today this Christian miracle happened: the cluster is open.”

Politics behind the step

Hungary had vetoed Ukraine’s progress for two years, linking its consent to guarantees on minority rights. The election of Peter Magyar, who struck a deal with President Volodymyr Zelensky, removed the obstacle. The path now also clears the way for Moldova, whose dossier is politically tied to Ukraine’s. Both countries were designated candidates in December 2023 and formally began negotiations in June 2024, but no chapters had been opened until Monday.

A long road ahead

Despite the celebratory tone – deputy prime minister Taras Kachka said Kyiv and Brussels had "crossed the Rubicon" – accession remains a distant prospect. Negotiators must work through 35 chapters grouped into six thematic clusters, covering everything from environment and agriculture to foreign policy. The unanimous consent of all member states is required at every stage: to open and to close each cluster. Commissioner Marta Kos said she expects the remaining five clusters to open by July, but closing the Fundamentals is likely years away.

Divided members, uncertain timetable

Zelensky aims for membership by 2027, but most experts see 2030 as the earliest realistic date – Croatia took a decade, and Ukraine is fighting a war. Germany and France advocate a merit-based acceleration and are open to phased integration before full membership, while Baltic states demand that obstacles be removed quickly. Kos acknowledged the debate: "We have many options on what we can do in the area of gradual integration." The commissioner also noted that the EU had achieved more on enlargement in the last 16 to 17 months than in the previous 15 years.