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The EU has begun preparations for the official launch of the first cluster on Ukraine’s accession

The EU has begun preparations for the official launch of the first cluster on Ukraine’s accession

04 June 2026, 13:31

The EU has begun preparations for the official launch of the first cluster on Ukraine’s accession — Ukraine and the EU

The EU has announced that preparations are underway for the official launch of the first cluster as part of the accession negotiations between Ukraine and Moldova and the European Union.

This is stated in a press release from the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU.

“This marks an important milestone on their path to European integration and sends a strong signal of the EU’s unity and determination,” the Cypriot Presidency stated.

It added that work would continue in the coming days to finalise discussions within the EU Council regarding the official opening of the first cluster.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Andriy Sybiha stated that negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union across all clusters would open in June 2026.

Ukraine’s accession to the EU: what is known

Until now, progress in the negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU has been hampered primarily by Hungary. Former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán consistently blocked any steps forward, but after 16 years in power, he suffered defeat in the parliamentary elections.

Peter Magyar’s new government has signalled a more measured approach, although it has not openly supported Ukraine’s membership. As reported by Bloomberg, Magyar is setting a specific condition for the start of negotiations with Kyiv — granting greater rights to the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.

Earlier, Reuters reported that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had sent a letter to EU leaders proposing ‘associated membership’ for Kyiv. The plan envisages the appointment of a Ukrainian associate commissioner to the European Commission and representatives to the European Parliament, albeit without voting rights.

Prior to this, the Financial Times reported on proposals from Germany and France regarding Ukraine’s “symbolic” membership of the EU. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected the idea of “limited” accession to the European Union and NATO.

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