The European Union has agreed to push Ukraine and Moldova into the next phase of their bids to join the bloc, after diplomats said Hungary indicated it is ready to drop its long-standing veto on moving Kyiv’s talks forward.
“This marks a significant milestone in their European integration path, and sends a strong message of EU unity and determination,” Cyprus, which holds the rotating presidency, said in a social media post.
The EU formally opened entry negotiations with Ukraine in June 2024, setting in motion a complex process that typically stretches over years and requires detailed talks across policy areas ranging from agriculture to the rule of law.
Yet the decision was widely seen as more symbolic than operational, because the practical next steps had been stalled since then by former Hungarian premier Viktor Orban.
That logjam began to shift after Mr Orban was ousted in April, when Hungary’s new prime minister, Peter Magyar, signalled he was prepared to advance Ukraine’s accession process once Budapest’s unresolved concerns with Kyiv were addressed.
Momentum built earlier when Mr Magyar said a “historic agreement” had been reached with Ukraine over the rights of its Hungarian ethnic minority—an issue that for years has been a persistent source of friction between the two neighbours.
Hungary’s Magyar said Budapest wanted Ukraine to amend its minority action plan, after which it would “consent to the opening of the first accession cluster in Ukraine’s EU membership negotiations”.
However, at a meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels this evening, multiple diplomats said Hungary had already signalled it would no longer stand in the way of opening the first so-called “cluster” of negotiating topics.
‘Renewed momentum’
EU enlargement chief Marta Kos welcomed Magyar’s announcement, saying it “opens the way for progress on the EU accession path of Ukraine”.
“This will allow Member States to take forward the work on opening the first negotiation cluster with Ukraine and Moldova,” she wrote on X.
In a statement, Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee described the move as an “historic milestone” and a “clear signal that the future of both countries lies within the European Union family.”
“The people of Ukraine and Moldova have demonstrated determination and commitment to reform, often in the most challenging of circumstances. Their progress reflects a deep commitment to democracy, the rule of law and the values that underpin our Union.
“There is renewed momentum and unity in the European Union, and Ireland is ambitious to play its role as a member state that formed part of the first enlargement and as incoming Presidency of the Council,” she said.
Ukraine’s application—launched as a forceful political statement days after Russia’s 2022 invasion—has since faltered at key moments amid Hungary’s resistance.
Mr Magyar has stressed that Hungary does not back any fast-track route for Ukraine into the EU.
He also said the country would hold a referendum on Ukraine’s membership should it “succeed in closing all 33 accession chapters within the next 10 to 15 years.”
