EU plans on hurrying up Ukraine admission discussions
Date
1/30/2025 3:22:21 AM
(MENAFN) The European Union is set to accelerate Ukraine’s EU membership talks, with plans to open two "clusters" of negotiations by mid-2025, according to EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos. Ukraine formally applied for EU membership in February 2022 and was granted candidate status later that year.
Becoming a full EU member requires completing six clusters of talks, involving 35 chapters covering various criteria. So far, Ukraine has yet to initiate any of these talks. Kos stated that technically, the EU could be ready to open two clusters with Ukraine in the first half of the year, although this would require unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states. Countries like Hungary, Slovakia, and Austria have expressed concerns about Ukraine's membership, but the EU leadership seems supportive of Ukraine's accession.
Top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas emphasized the necessity of expanding the EU and adding new member states. Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister, Olga Stefanishina, visited Brussels to advocate for a quicker integration process, aligning with efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s position ahead of upcoming peace talks with Moscow.
The previous European Commission suggested that Ukraine could join the EU by 2029 if it made sufficient progress on political, judicial reforms, and anti-corruption measures. However, Ukraine’s EU envoy Katarina Mathernova considered 2030 a more realistic target.
Ukraine officially made EU and NATO membership national goals by amending its constitution in 2019, although Russia strongly opposed Ukraine's NATO ambitions, criticizing the EU’s expanding influence beyond Europe.
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