Ukraine and Moldova are expected to begin the first formal negotiation steps with Brussels for their respective E.U. memberships after Hungary confirmed it will stop opposing Kyiv’s bid.
One of the steps of the the broader E.U. accession process involves a series of negotiation clusters and chapters that see prospective countries adapt its legislation to E.U. standards. Ukraine is set to begin its first negotiation cluster with Brussels in mid-June — a development that it is reportedly expected will help advance Moldova’s E.U. aspirations and negotiation clusters, as both nations submitted E.U. membership applications within days of each other in early 2022.
For years, Kyiv’s European Union membership pursuit found itself fierce opposition from the government of former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán — however, unnamed diplomatic sources claimed to Politico on Tuesday that the new government of Prime Minister Péter Magyar as privately expressed an “openness” to lift Hungary’s veto on Ukraine’s E.U. membership following a meeting this week between Ukrainian and Hungarian human rights experts.
One of the diplomats reportedly said that the Ukrainian representatives provided “assurances” on how to resolve most of the concerns expressed by the Orbán administration in the past over Ukraine’s prospective E.U. membership. Per Politico, the diplomat added that “that Budapest’s approval was not contingent on passing new legislation in Ukraine.
“Negotiations are ongoing. No agreement has been reached,” an unnamed Hungarian official claimed to Politico on condition of anonymity.
Hellbound and Down 