EU leaders "made it clear that the preconditions for starting the first stage of Ukraine's EU accession process have been created," which supports Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's efforts to join the bloc, Bloomberg reports, writes UNN.
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At the summit in Cyprus on Thursday, leaders agreed that initial accession talks could begin within weeks and months,
But there are no concrete promises yet regarding the date of Ukraine's accession to the EU. The accession process for Croatia, the last country to join the EU, took about ten years.
Thursday's discussion took place amid new attempts by Ukraine to join the bloc after Hungary lifted its veto on a long-stalled 90 billion euro loan.
Earlier, Zelenskyy stated that his country deserves "full-fledged" membership, rejecting proposals for an alternative path to the EU that would be faster but with fewer rights. This came after France and Germany proposed an "associated membership" option to Ukraine before the summit.
France and Germany plan to grant Ukraine "symbolic" EU membership benefits - media20.04.26, 19:30
"Ukraine does not need symbolic EU membership," Zelenskyy said in a statement provided by his office before arriving in Cyprus for the meeting. "Ukraine is defending itself and, undoubtedly, defending Europe."
The renewed efforts for enlargement come after the blocking of the loan was lifted and member states agreed on a new package of sanctions against Russia - partly due to the defeat of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in the elections, the publication writes.
Upon arriving at the summit, Zelenskyy welcomed the decision. "This is not just a positive decision, it's not just words," he said. "It's also a matter of survival."
Officials in Kyiv and Brussels had hoped that Orbán's departure from office would accelerate the accession process, especially regarding the formal assessment of whether Ukraine meets the necessary criteria for joining. Orbán had also blocked this process.
Péter Magyar, who won a convincing victory over Orbán this month, is expected to be sworn in as Hungary's new prime minister in early May. But, besides Orbán, other obstacles remain.
Despite agreeing to start negotiations, many member states are not eager to accelerate the application process, a process that usually takes many years
Kyiv's membership application is particularly sensitive due to concerns about the potential impact on the bloc's budget, as well as on the agricultural and transport sectors, the publication points out.
Speaking at the meeting on Thursday, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda emphasized the importance of a "merit-based" approach to enlargement, later writing in a post on X after meeting with Zelenskyy that he sees 2030 as a "target date" for the country.
Fears that member states would not support a rapid accession process intensified after Germany prepared a proposal that would grant Ukraine "associated membership" in the EU while advancing the accession process.
According to this plan, which circulated in the media, Ukraine would be gradually integrated into EU programs and participate in bloc meetings, but would not have voting rights.
Although Ukrainian officials have expressed willingness to postpone access to some EU programs, including agricultural policy, Kyiv insists on its desire to become a full member and wants firm commitments, the publication writes.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever expressed support for discussing various membership options for countries wishing to join the bloc.
"If we want to expand Europe, then it will probably happen through a multi-level model of cooperation, and I think we need to discuss this," he told reporters before the summit.
Zelenskyy insists that as part of any peace agreement with Russia, Ukraine should join the EU as early as 2027. But the accession process usually takes years.
"We are defending our common European values," Zelenskyy said. "I believe we deserve full membership in the European Union."
Some member states expressed strong support. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal stated that there is no alternative to Ukraine's full membership.
"We support Ukraine in the European Union because, frankly, there is no other way," Michal told Bloomberg Television in Cyprus.