EU supports opening of Ukraine’s accession talks: time to move forward
European leaders have expressed their unwavering support for Ukraine on its path to full membership of the European Union, stressing the importance of further progress and reforms. At the recent European Council summit in Brussels, the bloc’s leaders – European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen – unanimously declared their strong support for Ukraine and their intention to move forward in this direction. The leaders’ sentiments and messages underlined that Ukraine’s security is a key component of the security of the entire continent. In their speeches, they expressed their conviction that the European Union must achieve a just and sustainable peace by supporting Ukrainian reforms and creating the preconditions for Ukraine’s accession to the European family. During the press conference, Kosta emphasized that, despite the complexity of the current circumstances, the Ukrainian government is demonstrating rapid progress in implementing important changes. "It is time to intensify our cooperation and move forward on the path to EU membership," the President of the European Council said. In turn, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted Ukraine's steadfastness in resisting Russian aggression and constant shelling. She emphasized that, despite unprecedented challenges, the Ukrainian team continues to implement reform after reform. According to her, the European Commission's initiative to open the first package of negotiation clusters is a call for active efforts from all participants in the process: "Ukraine has already completed important tasks, now it is time for us to act. The accession process is based on merit, and Ukraine deserves to move forward." The background to this important event was the recent session of the European Council, which ended without reaching a final agreement due to a Hungarian veto. However, most EU countries unanimously confirmed their support for Ukraine, emphasizing its right to choose its own path, and praised the pace of reforms. They also expressed sympathy and support for the Ukrainians, highlighted the significant progress in reforms, and voiced their readiness to move forward in the integration process. The decision to open negotiations was not agreed due to the lack of a single voice, as this requires unanimous approval by all 27 EU members. According to officials, most of the owner states are eager to move forward, while Hungary remains an obstacle in this process. However, all other countries agreed with the European Commission’s assessment that Ukraine is ready to start discussions on accession, and expressed hope for a positive decision in the near future. This situation poses new challenges for the European community and underlines the importance of unity in supporting Ukraine on its path to membership, a failure in which could have serious consequences for the entire region.