The EU Council on June 21 approved the accession negotiations framework with Ukraine and Moldova and confirmed that the talks would begin on June 25.
The announcement follows an agreement by EU ambassadors last week. Officials in Kyiv and Brussels were pushing for the June starting date before Hungary takes over from Belgium as the EU chair the following month.
The negotiations will be held in Luxembourg.
Ukraine received EU membership candidate status in June 2022. The European Commission recommended launching accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova in November 2023, and the European Council agreed on it a month later.
The commission then presented the negotiations framework and said the two countries are ready to begin the talks by the end of June.
Despite the agreement, Ukraine's entry into the EU most likely remains years away. Katarina Mathernova, the EU ambassador to Ukraine, said last month that Kyiv could join the bloc in 2030.
Rachel Amran
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