Zelensky, EU Leaders Discuss Timeline for Next Ukraine Accession Clusters

President Volodymyr Zelensky met European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of the G7 summit to discuss Ukraine’s next steps toward EU membership, financial support and tougher sanctions against Russia.

According to the President’s Office, Zelensky thanked the European Union for opening the first negotiation cluster for Ukraine and Moldova, calling it an important step in support of Ukraine and “a strong and clear signal” to Russia and its efforts to divide Europe.

The EU and Ukraine opened negotiations on the “fundamentals” cluster on Monday, a key stage in the accession process covering rule of law, fundamental rights, democratic institutions, public administration reform and economic criteria.

During the meeting, the leaders discussed the timeline for opening the remaining five negotiation clusters and further steps on Ukraine’s European integration path, according to the Ukrainian presidential readout.

They also discussed implementation of a financial support package and preparations for the first tranche. Kyiv expects to receive the funds this month and use them to strengthen Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression.

A separate part of the meeting focused on tightening sanctions against Moscow. Zelensky, Costa and von der Leyen discussed the EU’s proposed 21st sanctions package, which targets Russia’s energy sector, trade, financial services and cryptocurrency networks.

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A Russian FPV drone hit a group of civilians moving along the road in Nikopol on Tuesday, killing three people, including an elderly person and her son. The attack was part of a broader wave of Russian strikes across the Dnipropetrovsk region, which saw more than 40 attacks on four districts throughout the day.

The diplomatic track was also discussed, with the sides agreeing that Europe must be represented at any negotiating table on ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Zelensky stressed that as long as Russia intends to continue the war, Ukraine’s partners must strengthen Ukrainian air defense and work toward security guarantees for Kyiv.

The meeting came as G7 leaders in France discussed new measures to increase pressure on Russia, including sanctions on its energy revenues.

Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Taras Kachka said earlier that after the opening of the first cluster, the remaining five are ready for formal work and could be opened in the coming weeks.