Ukraine EU accession talks move to new areas

The European Union opened negotiations with Ukraine on two new accession areas Tuesday, marking a further step in Kyiv's effort to join the bloc.

The EU said talks would now start on the “internal market” and “competitiveness and inclusive growth” clusters, leaving only two of the six clusters still closed.

The move followed Ukrainian legislation protecting the rights of national minorities, an issue that had long caused tensions with Hungary over the Hungarian-speaking minority in western Ukraine. Hungary had blocked Ukraine's EU membership bid, which Kyiv submitted days after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Thomas Byrne, the Europe minister for Ireland, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, called the decision “another milestone” on Ukraine's membership path.

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Vsevolod Chentsov said Ukraine was committed to the reforms required for membership and intended to move through the work as quickly as possible.

Aspiring EU members must complete 35 negotiation chapters grouped into six clusters. Joining the bloc also requires unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states.