European Union to start accession negotiations with Ukraine in June: Date announced
Photo: President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
The EU ambassadors approved the negotiation framework for Ukraine's EU accession. Negotiations will begin on June 25, according to Radio Liberty correspondent Rickard Jozwiak and the Belgian EU Presidency.
"Hungary no longer blocking negotiation framework for Ukraine (and by extension Moldova). Compromise text agreed. Ukraine and Moldova should now officially start EU accession talk on 25 June," Jozwiak wrote.
The Belgian presidency of the EU confirmed that ambassadors of the member states supported the framework of negotiations on the EU accession of Ukraine and Moldova.
"The Belgian presidency will call the first intergovernmental conferences on 25 June," the statement said.
Such conferences mean the actual start of the accession negotiations.
What preceded it
EU leaders gave the green light to start accession talks with Ukraine in December last year. To start them, appropriate decisions were needed within the bloc, including approval of the negotiation framework.
During meetings at the level of EU ambassadors, Hungary repeatedly blocked such a decision because it complained about Ukraine's policy toward national minorities.
At the same time, Budapest had no complaints about the start of accession talks with Moldova.
