The EU officially approved on Friday the start of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova next week, another step in the two states’ long journey to join the bloc of 27.
Belgium, which currently holds – for a few more days – the presidency of the European Union, said that member states have agreed on a negotiating framework.
“This paves the way for the start of negotiations on Tuesday, June 25, in Luxembourg,” said the Belgian presidency. They will begin negotiations with two intergovernmental conferences.
Long process
Following a positive assessment from the EU executive, EU leaders had already agreed last year that accession negotiations should begin with both countries. The process between the start of negotiations with Ukraine and its neighbor Moldova and its accession to the EU could take many years.
To join the EU, candidate countries must go through a long process to align their laws and standards with those of the bloc and demonstrate that their institutions and economies meet democratic standards.
Ukraine is one of many countries that have long wanted to join the EU, seeing it as a path to wealth and stability. Although the EU is not a military alliance like NATO, membership in the bloc is seen by some as a bulwark against Russian influence.
Ukraine officially applied for EU membership less than a week after Russia invaded it in February 2022.
Moldova has repeatedly accused Russia of waging a hybrid war against the country, interfering in local elections and carrying out massive disinformation campaigns to try to overthrow the government and derail its path to EU membership.
Russia has denied the accusations, but the Moldovan government is wary of Moscow’s intentions, especially after Transnistrian authorities appealed to Moscow in February for “protection” due to what they saw as increasing pressure from the government.
With information from ABC