The European Union is expected to clear the way for accession talks to get underway with Ukraine and Moldova after Hungary dropped its veto.
Ukraine will have to negotiate its way into the club by proving that it matches up to EU law.
The first so-called “cluster” of topics to be tackled will include reaching agreement on access to justice and fundamental rights, as well as proof of good financial governance and functioning democratic institutions.
The EU has repeatedly praised Ukraine’s efforts to carry out reforms while simultaneously fighting a war against Russian invasion.
But the war is also a motivation for Ukraine to join the EU, which Ukrainians see as offering greater economic prosperity and military safe harbour from Russia.
‘Russia will have to answer’
Overnight missiles fell on Pechersk Lavra monastery, including Dormition Cathedral, in the heart of Kyiv. UNESCO warned the world heritage site had suffered “significant damage”.
The EU’s foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas, said it was yet another war crime and “Russia will have to answer for them”.
Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said the bombing was “one of Russia’s most serious crimes against Christian culture to date” and part of a strike of 60 missiles to hit the capital last night.
Hungary dropped its veto on Ukraine’s EU accession after a deal was reached between Hungary’s new Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, and President Zelenskyy earlier this month on the treatment of Ukraine’s 80-100,000-strong Hungarian minority.
Hungary’s new Foreign Minister, Anita Orbán (no relation to previous prime minister, Viktor Orbán), said this morning that “for Hungary, the fulfillment and the implementation of this agreement is a fundamental condition in the European integration process of Ukraine”.
Lengthy process
Under that agreement, Ukraine has promised bilingual street signs in towns where Hungarians make up at least 10% of the population. There will also be the right to use the language in public administration.
Joining the EU will still be a lengthy process. Some diplomats talk optimistically of Ukraine joining by 2030. For other countries, it has not been unusual for the process to take at least a decade.
“We have been through that,” said Latvia’s Foreign Minister, Baiba Braže, with a laugh.
“We know it’s not a simple process, but it’s really important and especially today after the horrible attacks that Russia did last night.”
Inside the EU, there is an active discussion about what impact such a large new member state as Ukraine could have on the EU.
Extending farm subsidies to Ukraine’s vast agricultural sector, for example, would be astronomically expensive.
Farmers in existing EU member states also fear they will be undercut and driven out of business.
‘EU-lite’ membership?
Last month, German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, suggested Ukraine could be granted a kind of ‘EU-lite’ membership, an idea firmly rejected by Zelenskyy.
“There can be no complete European project without Ukraine, and Ukraine’s place in the European Union must also be complete – full and equal,” Zelenskyy said.
Moving forward, in tandem with Ukraine, will be Moldova’s accession process. It too is partially occupied by Russia in conflict that has been frozen for decades.
At the other end of the process is Montenegro, which EU diplomats say could complete accession negotiations by the end of this year and soon replace the UK as the EU’s 28th member state.
Other Balkan countries are also in the queue, but progress is advancing more slowly.
Ukraine and Moldova were granted EU-candidate status soon after the start of the war back in 2022.
Zelenskyy has been keen to show that his government is carrying out reforms ready to join the Union, but the opening of talks was stymied by arguments with Hungary’s Viktor Orban.
European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, said, if things go well, negotiations in all other clusters, covering everything from energy to transport, education and farming, could be opened as soon as July.
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