EU to start accession negotiations with Ukraine on Tuesday afternoon
Update: Despite numerous reports in Ukrainian media, as of the time of this update, the negotiations have not yet begun.
An EU-Ukraine intergovernmental conference will be held in Luxembourg on Tuesday, 25 June to mark the official opening of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union. The intergovernmental conference with Ukraine is scheduled for 16:30 Kyiv time, and with Moldova at 19:00.
On 21 June, the EU Council approved the negotiating framework for Ukraine and Moldova, which paves the way for the launch of accession talks.
The day before, a European diplomat said that the conference would consist of three parts: opening remarks, including video messages, an opening statement by Belgium which holds the EU presidency, and a statement by Ukraine. The third part would include speeches and remarks by member states.
Ukraine's delegation will be headed by Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, and the European delegation will be led by Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib.
At the conference, the EU will provide Ukraine with a broad framework of negotiations outlining the essential principles of the negotiating process.
The intergovernmental conference will provide a formal start to the negotiations, which will essentially begin with the opening of the negotiating chapters. The chapters and clusters focused on the European Union's fundamental challenges will be launched first.
Ukraine's optimistic forecast expects the first chapters to open in early 2025.
Negotiations will begin before 1 July, when Hungary, which is sceptical of Ukraine's European integration, succeeds Belgium and assumes the presidency of the Council of the European Union, giving it greater influence over EU decision-making.
The negotiations come more than 10 years after thousands of Ukrainians flocked to the EuroMaidan to defend their country's path towards the EU, and more than two years after Russia started a full-scale invasion to keep Ukraine in its orbit.
Ukraine wants to join the European Union by 2030, but it is unclear how long the negotiations will take.
Also, on Tuesday, 25 June, the Council of the EU will approve the text of the security agreement between Ukraine and the EU.