EU agrees to launch membership talks with Ukraine next week even as war with Russia drags on
European Union nations agreed on Friday (June 12, 2026) to open membership talks with Ukraine next week, officially launching the process for the war-torn country
European Union nations agreed on Friday (June 12, 2026) to open membership talks with Ukraine next week, officially launching the process for the war-torn country to eventually join the worldâs biggest trading bloc. At a meeting in Brussels, ambassadors from the 27 EU nations decided to officially open negotiations with Ukraine as well as with Moldova, which Russia has also tried to drag back into its orbit, on Monday (June 15, 2026) in Luxembourg. Ukraine sees EU membership as an important âsecurity guaranteeâ for a stable future once war with Russia ends. Its best guarantee would be NATO membership, but the Trump administration insists that cannot happen. Others oppose it joining while fighting continues. Russia is strongly against it, and has cited moves toward NATO membership as a reason for launching its full-scale invasion in 2022, though it has not objected to EU membership for Kyiv.
Countries hoping to join the EU must complete negotiations in 35 policy areas, or chapters, ranging from agriculture to trade, a process which can take years. An intergovernmental conference will be held on Monday (June 15, 2026) to open key chapters â grouped together as âclustersâ â concerning the values and principles on which the bloc was founded. âThis is a recognition of the determination, courage and hard work shown by both countries in advancing reforms, even in the face of immense challenges,â EU Council President AntĂłnio Costa and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. They described the move as âa strategic choiceâ that strengthens âpeace, security and prosperity across our continent.â Itâs also a âsignal that the EUâs offer of peace, stability and opportunity is unmatchable,â they said.
Ukraine officially applied for EU accession less than a week after Russia invaded in February 2022. The EU commission has praised the country for reforms it has been able to push through in wartime, although deep concerns about corruption and justice standards remain. Last month, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged his EU partners to consider offering âassociate membershipâ to Ukraine and breathe new life into talks aimed at ending more than four years of war with Russia. Other countries â France and the Netherlands among them â have suggested work arounds to bring Ukraine into the fold more quickly but without the rights of full membership. It all comes as the EU weighs whether to try to launch its own negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with U.S. mediated talks bogged down while Americaâs attention focuses on the Iran war.