Ukraine's EU membership application to be assessed on November 8, Reuters

According to three officials, this will be a crucial step in the EU's decision on whether to commence negotiations for Ukraine's accession.

The assessment will be presented in the annual report of the European Commission, based in Brussels, where it will detail how countries wishing to join the bloc of 27 nations have progressed in meeting the necessary economic, legal, and other criteria.

It is noted that during the EU leaders' summit on December 14-15, a decision will be made regarding the initiation of official membership negotiations with Ukraine, which is one of Ukraine's top priorities as it continues to deal with the conflict with Russia.

It is expected that Ukraine will receive a positive recommendation, possibly with additional conditions related to combating corruption and minority rights, an issue raised by Hungary.

Ukraine's accession to the EU

Ukraine obtained candidate status for EU membership last year. Now, the country must fulfill a series of conditions to become a full-fledged member of the bloc.

As of the end of June, Ukraine has met two out of seven conditions required to begin negotiations, and by the end of September, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that the country had completed the implementation of all European Commission recommendations at the government level.

It should be added that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian government were hoping for a positive report from the European Commission and a recommendation to start accession negotiations in 2023.

However, according to Politico, the EU is likely to announce the start of negotiations on Ukraine's membership by December of this year.

For more information on the forecast about when negotiations for Ukraine's accession to the EU may begin and what obstacles may arise, refer to the RBC-Ukraine article.