The European Commission will recommend starting EU accession negotiations with Ukraine in June, before Hungary takes over the bloc's presidency, citing three sources familiar with the matter, the Fianancial Times reports, UNN writes.
Details
The European Commission will recommend starting EU accession talks with Ukraine this month to demonstrate support for the war - torn country before Budapest takes over the bloc's alternate presidency, according to three people familiar with the matter.
The European Commission, as the newspaper notes, "insists that official negotiations begin with Kiev and Chisinau this month in order to give both countries a positive signal about their desire to join the EU." On Friday, she is expected to announce that "Ukraine now meets previously unfulfilled criteria, including anti-corruption measures, restrictions on political lobbying, asset declaration rules for government officials, and the protection of languages used by national minorities.
Georgia, which passed a law on "foreign agents" contrary to warnings from Brussels, will not get the green light on Friday, when the European Commission shares its estimates with the bloc's 27 ambassadors, the newspaper writes.
The Brussels recommendation requires the unanimity of EU governments, and Hungary is expected to raise objections, referring, in particular, to the question of "Kiev's attitude to the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
Budapest has additional concerns about the rights of other minorities in Ukraine, especially regarding the use of non-Ukrainian languages that go beyond the official terms of the European Commission, a senior EU diplomat said.
Representatives of the Hungarian government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Hungary will assume the EU presidency on July 1, which will give it additional leverage over the agenda of meetings that discuss issues related to Ukraine.
Belgium, which currently holds the EU presidency, is reportedly "pushing for unanimity and holding the first round of accession talks on June 25 before passing the baton to Hungary.
Addition
Ukraine applied for EU membership a few weeks after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 and received candidate status just a few months later, which was one of the bloc's fastest decisions.