First cluster in Ukraine’s membership talks could open on June 15 after Hungary lifts veto
The first cluster in Ukraine’s accession talks with the European Union could be opened as early as June 15 after Hungary withdrew its veto, the Financial Times reported.
According to the newspaper, Hungary said it would allow formal talks to begin on the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the bloc.
That would allow the two countries to begin aligning their laws with EU legislation across six clusters, with the first one potentially opening on June 15.
Earlier, the Council of the European Union said preparations had begun for the official opening of the first cluster in the negotiations.
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said he would support the process of Ukraine joining the bloc in exchange for “an agreement to expand the linguistic, educational, cultural and political rights” of the Hungarian minority.
If Ukraine does that, he said, he would help open the first cluster for Kyiv.
Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also said that negotiations on all clusters in Ukraine’s accession process would be opened in June 2026.
Ukraine’s path to the EU
Until now, progress in Ukraine’s EU accession talks had been slowed mainly by Hungary.
Former Prime Minister Viktor Orban consistently blocked any steps forward, but after 16 years in power he was defeated in parliamentary elections.
The new government of Peter Magyar has signaled a more measured approach, though it has not openly endorsed Ukraine’s membership. Bloomberg reported that Magyar has set a specific condition for the start of talks with Kyiv — granting greater rights to the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
Earlier, Reuters reported that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had sent EU leaders a letter proposing “associate membership” for Kyiv. The plan would provide for a Ukrainian associate commissioner in the European Commission and representatives in the European Parliament, though without voting rights.
Before that, the Financial Times reported on proposals from Germany and France for “symbolic” EU membership for Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected ideas of “limited” accession to the EU and NATO.