Luxembourg Backs Start of EU Accession Talks with Ukraine

Monday, 13 November 2023

Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn has said his country supports the beginning of negotiations on Ukraine's EU membership, but now is not the right time to talk about the specific date of accession.

"I believe that Ukraine deserves this prospect to be not closed, but opened. With all the problems," Asselborn said when asked at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on Monday whether Luxembourg would support the opening of talks on Ukraine's membership at the EU summit in December.

He insisted, however, that no promises should be made regarding the date of Ukraine's accession.

"It would be a mistake to say that Ukraine will be an EU member in two, three, four or five years," he stated, explaining that playing games with dates will leave many people disappointed, and instead, "we have to work".

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The Ukrainian government says Ukraine is at a high level of readiness for accession to the EU and has pledged to complete membership negotiations within two years.

The decision on whether to start accession talks with Ukraine will be considered at the EU leaders’ summit in December. As of now, Hungary, which has promised to block a positive decision for Kyiv, may stand in the way.

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