EU opens second area of membership talks with Ukraine

The European Union opened a second area of membership negotiations with Ukraine on Tuesday, as Kyiv seeks faster progress in its bid to join the bloc. EU Europe ministers meeting in Brussels with their Ukrainian counterpart opened talks on security, defence and foreign policy. The step follows the 27-nation bloc's formal start last month of a first phase of membership talks with Ukraine after a long delay caused by opposition from Hungary. Candidate countries must negotiate through six subject clusters to align with EU law in areas including the environment, agriculture and justice. The latest move did not meet hopes in Ukraine and Brussels to open negotiations on all six clusters before Europe's summer holiday break. Ukraine applied to join the EU after Russia's 2022 invasion and still faces a long process before any full membership. Moldova, which applied at the same time as Ukraine, was also opening its second area of talks. EU commissioner Marta Kos called it “a super Tuesday for EU enlargement” and said the momentum must lead to delivery. Montenegro was wrapping up more negotiation topics, as was Albania, while Montenegro was described in the source as the frontrunner to be the bloc's next member.