All 27 EU member states have unanimously supported and formally agreed to open the first accession negotiations cluster with Ukraine and Moldova – Cluster 1 – Fundamentals.
According to the European Commission, the accession cluster was officially opened in Luxembourg during an Intergovernmental Conference on Monday, June 15, marking an important milestone on Ukraine’s more than decade-long path toward EU membership.
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The Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna said that the move sends a clear message that “The future of Ukraine and its citizens is firmly anchored in the European Union,” underscoring Ukraine’s commitment to European integration during the challenges of Russia’s war.
“This is testament to the resilience of the Ukrainian people,” she said, adding that the commitment “that Ukraine is taking today is critical for moving the accession process forward.”
The negotiations on the “Fundamentals” cluster are the first ones to be opened and the last ones to be closed in the accession process, with their progress determining the overall pace of negotiations.
Zelensky: EU’s progress cannot be stopped
President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly framed Ukraine’s path to the European Union as a part of the country’s defense against Russian aggression, arguing that by resisting Moscow, Ukrainians are also defending the idea of a Europe where nations can live “united, free and in peace.”
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Officials of both Ukraine and Moldova see the opening of the “Fundamentals” cluster as proof that their reforms have been taken seriously, and that the road to EU membership is no longer a distant aspiration.
“What is happening today,” Zelensky said, “is a clear sign that Europe’s progress cannot be stopped,” adding that both Ukraine and Moldova have taken important steps together, as strong allies.
“We support each other and are moving together towards the EU,” he said. “And it is especially symbolic that today I am addressing you from Chisinau on my way to France, to the G7 summit.”
While Ukraine formally launched negotiation talks with the EU in June 2024, none of the clusters had begun, mainly due to obstruction by former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
With Orban’s defeat and Hungary’s Prime Minister Peter Magyar recent “historic agreement” with Ukraine concerning the educational, cultural, and political rights of the ethnic Hungarian community in the Transcarpathia region, Ukraine has officially committed to incorporating these rights into its EU Minority Action Plan and with that, cleared former restrictions for the EU accession bid.
“It often feels as though we always have to fight harder than others in order to move forward on our path towards the EU,” Zelensky said, adding that Ukraine has earned the right to move faster. “We are ready for the opening of all clusters. We have done our work.”
Putin rejects meeting proposals
Zelensky issued a letter to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, demanding a face-to-face meeting to end Russia’s war against Ukraine. He offered a path to end the war through a bilateral summit hosted by a neutral state, along with fully swapping prisoners and broader security guarantees from Europe and the US.
Putin rejected all of the proposals so far, mocking most of them.
“We have proposed to Putin that we meet anywhere,” Zelensky said in his latest Telegram post. “He does not want this.”
Ukraine discussed with the United States and France the possibility of a meeting with Russia amid the G7 summit, including the participation of all democratic states.
“Yesterday we discussed with President Trump that such a meeting could be organized in the United States in a format in which it would be much more difficult for Putin to refuse,” Zelensky explained, adding that additional pressure will be needed if Russia rejects this opportunity as well.
Taras Kachka: ‘This is a turning point’
In his statement on Facebook, Ukraine’s Deputy Economy Minister has hailed the beginning of the accession negotiations as a “historic decision” that now opens a new stage in Ukraine’s movement toward full membership.
“From now on, Ukraine’s integration process is irreversible and has a clearly defined result,” he said – “the signing of the Treaty of Accession to the EU.”
According to Kachka, Ukraine has already proven the ability to keep up the pace, with many of the required changes in areas such as the judiciary, anti-corruption policy and public administration already being launched and delivering results on the ground.
He thanked Zelensky, the government and parliament, alongside Ukraine’s European partners for making the breakthrough possible, adding that the country has moved “one step closer” to its European future despite much work lying ahead.
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