EU agrees to advance Ukraine and Moldova to next stage of membership bids

The European Union has cleared the way for Ukraine and Moldova to advance to the next phase of their membership bids, after diplomats said Hungary had signalled it was lifting its long-running veto on Kyiv’s progress.

“This marks a significant milestone in their European integration path, and sends a strong message of EU unity and determination,” Cyprus, which holds the rotating presidency, said in a social media post.

The bloc formally opened accession talks with Ukraine in June 2024, launching a complex process that typically stretches over years and covers everything from agriculture to the rule of law.

That step, however, was largely symbolic. The real start of negotiations had remained stalled, with former Hungarian premier Viktor Orban blocking movement since then.

The impasse appeared to ease earlier when Mr Magyar announced a “historic agreement” with Ukraine on the rights of the country’s Hungarian ethnic minority, a long-running source of tension between the two neighbours.

Hungary’s Magyar said Budapest wanted Ukraine to revise its minority action plan, after which it would “consent to the opening of the first accession cluster in Ukraine’s EU membership negotiations”.

But during a meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels this evening, several diplomats said Hungary had already indicated it would stop holding up the opening of the first so-called “cluster” of negotiating chapters.

‘Renewed momentum’

EU enlargement chief Marta Kos welcomed Magyar’s announcement, saying it “opens the way for progress on the EU accession path of Ukraine”.

“This will allow Member States to take forward the work on opening the first negotiation cluster with Ukraine and Moldova,” she wrote on X.

In a statement, Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee called the development an “historic milestone” and a “clear signal that the future of both countries lies within the European Union family.”

“The people of Ukraine and Moldova have demonstrated determination and commitment to reform, often in the most challenging of circumstances. Their progress reflects a deep commitment to democracy, the rule of law and the values that underpin our Union.

“There is renewed momentum and unity in the European Union, and Ireland is ambitious to play its role as a member state that formed part of the first enlargement and as incoming Presidency of the Council,” she said.

Ukraine first launched its EU membership bid as a powerful political statement in the days after Russia’s 2022 invasion, but the effort had since faltered under sustained opposition from Hungary.

Mr Magyar stressed that Hungary does not back any fast-track route for Ukraine into the EU.

He also said Hungary would hold a referendum on Ukraine’s membership if it “succeed in closing all 33 accession chapters within the next 10 to 15 years.”