EU Advances Ukraine, Moldova Membership Bids After Hungary Drops Veto Over 100,000 Minority Rights
Updated
Updated · DW (English) · Jun 4
EU Advances Ukraine, Moldova Membership Bids After Hungary Drops Veto Over 100,000 Minority Rights
3 articles · Updated · DW (English) · Jun 4
Summary
The EU said it would move Ukraine and Moldova to the next stage of accession, allowing member states to open the first negotiation cluster after Hungary lifted its block.
A deal between Budapest and Kyiv on the rights of more than 100,000 ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine's Transcarpathia region removed the obstacle that had stalled progress since 2024.
Peter Magyar said Ukraine agreed to strengthen educational, linguistic, cultural and political protections and fold the changes into its minority action plan submitted to the EU.
The first cluster covers fundamentals such as rule of law, judicial reform and public administration, but Hungary said it still rejects any fast-tracked path and wants all 33 chapters completed over 10 to 15 years.
For Kyiv, EU membership remains a strategic goal as it fights Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion and seeks longer-term security and political anchoring in Europe.
With its own reforms stalled, how can the EU realistically integrate a nation as large and complex as Ukraine?
Could the EU's strict economic rules inadvertently fuel the very instability the Union seeks to prevent in Ukraine?
June 2026: EU Launches Membership Talks with Ukraine and Moldova After Resolving Hungarian Minority Dispute
Overview
On June 4, 2026, the European Union unanimously began accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, marking a historic step after years of political maneuvering and reform efforts by both countries. This breakthrough followed intense diplomatic activity and overcame previous obstacles, especially Hungary’s repeated vetoes over minority rights issues. A key turning point was Hungary’s policy shift after a new prime minister took office, leading to an agreement on safeguarding the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine. With all 27 EU member states in agreement, Ukraine and Moldova now face the challenging process of meeting EU standards on governance, law, and economic reforms.