Zelensky calls on Ireland, EU to 'keep promises', advance Ukraine's membership

President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the EU to advance Ukraine's membership during an official visit to Ireland on July 1.

He made the remarks at an opening ceremony marking Dublin's taking over the EU's six-month rotating Council Presidency on July 1.

Ireland has said that advancing EU integration talks with all candidate countries will be a priority for the second half of 2026, but further progress has again been obstructed by the new Hungarian government led by Peter Magyar.

"We must keep moving forward. We count on it, moving forward without losing time," Zelensky said.

On June 15, Ukraine opened the first of six so-called enlargement clusters, to-do lists of reforms that Kyiv must enact in order to join the EU.

Hopes were high that the remaining five clusters could open as early as July, but diplomats from six EU countries confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that Hungary is preventing further progress.

"We can open five more clusters. Antonio, what do you think?" Zelensky asked the European Council President Antonio Costa, also attending the opening ceremony in Ireland.

"Maybe," boomed Costa in response.

In his own speech Costa said "we wish to open all the other clusters as soon as possible," which had been a well-worn phrase among EU leadership until recently.

A Hungary-led push at a June 18 summit of EU leaders forced the words "as soon as possible" to be removed from joint conclusions supporting Ukraine's and Moldova's membership processes.

Costa had backup in the form of Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, who also came out forcefully in support of Ukraine's EU membership bid.

"Ireland, from the very beginning, most importantly at the outset, when there wasn't the same level of enthusiasm, we were very supportive of Ukrainian accession to the European Union," Martin said.

"We say to countries on their journey towards EU membership, we are determined to take you as far down that path as we can," he added.

In Zelensky's remarks, he mentioned that "the biggest political decisions are still ahead, but steps like opening new clusters strengthen the motivation of our people, lift the spirit of Ukrainians and show that the EU keeps its promises."

"It's so important to keep promises. And that is exactly how it should be," Zelensky said.