Ukraine Inches Closer To European Union Membership.

Kyiv/Brussels; June 2026: Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yulia Svyrydenko, has posted on her ‘X’ handle: “All member states of the European Union have given the green light to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. Fantastic news! all EU member states have given the green light to open Cluster 1 in the accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova”.

“We are one step closer to EU membership and are moving steadily towards our goal. Thank you to the Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2026 and all EU countries for keeping the momentum and supporting Ukraine’s European elections”, Prime Minister Yulia further said.

The Cypriot Presidency of the Council of Ministers has also announced on their official ‘X’ handle: “today the Cypriot EU Presidency took the initiative to begin preparations for the formal opening of Cluster 1 in the accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. This marks an important milestone on their path towards European integration and sends a strong signal of the EU’s unity and determination”.

Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže was quick to support opening the negotiations. She wrote on X that: “Latvia welcomes the EU’s agreement to formally open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova and supports the opening of all negotiation clusters”.

Ukraine has for a long time made no secret of its desire to join the EU. President Volodymyr Zelensky, has previously wanted to open the first negotiating area in the negotiations for EU membership. He has written on his ‘X’ handle: “We are fully ready to open Cluster 1 of the EU membership negotiations – the “Basic Principles” cluster. We need real progress in this area”.

When a country negotiates to join the EU, legislation is divided into six major “clusters”.

Cluster 1 includes fundamental issues such as judicial independence, human rights and the fight against corruption. This cluster is perceived as the most important because the EU usually requires progress here before negotiations in other areas can proceed.

Negotiations on Ukraine’s possible accession to the EU have met with strong opposition, particularly from Hungary, which previously opposed Ukraine’s EU accession under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. However, the country’s new Prime Minister Péter Magyar has signalled a willingness to lift his veto on moving forward with accession negotiations.

But he writes on X that he believes it will be many years before Ukraine is a full member of the EU:

• The Ukrainian government has committed to incorporating the agreed measures into the country’s legislation in the near future, says Magyar’s post.

• If this happens, the Hungarian government will support the opening of Ukraine’s first negotiating cluster in the EU accession negotiations.

• Hungary is against accelerated EU accession.

• If Ukraine succeeds in closing all 33 negotiation chapters within the next 10 to 15 years, Hungary will support Ukraine’s membership of the EU, provided that it is approved in a legally binding referendum.

Team Maverick.