EU initiates membership talks with former Soviet states Moldova and Ukraine
The European Union is officially commencing accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova after receiving approval from its member states last week.
The negotiations will be inaugurated with a ceremony in Luxembourg on Tuesday, June 25. While the ratification process will take years, these talks will encourage Ukraine to continue moving away from Soviet-era practices.
Last week, the agreement of the bloc’s 27 members was achieved, despite Hungary’s attempts to obstruct the move.
The EU will begin accession negotiations in earnest after screening Ukraine and Moldova’s legislation to determine the reforms needed to meet EU standards.
The origins of the Ukraine-Russia conflict can be traced back to the Maidan uprising of 2014, when protesters overthrew President Viktor Yanukovych after he backed out of an agreement to strengthen ties with the EU.
Ukraine submitted its application to join the EU immediately following the Russian invasion in February 2022, with neighboring Moldova soon following.
“These are truly historic moments. Ukraine is and will always be part of a united Europe,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Tuesday.
“Millions of Ukrainians, and indeed generations of our people, are realizing their European dream.”