European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has confirmed that the Commission supports launching the first “cluster” of Ukraine’s EU-accession negotiations. Writing on X, she noted that Kyiv is pushing reforms forward “under continuous fire” and has met the commitments set by Brussels.
“Ukraine has fulfilled its obligations – now we must fulfil ours. Accession is merit-based, and Ukraine deserves to move ahead,” von der Leyen stressed.
Her statement follows President Volodymyr Zelensky’s appeal to EU leaders at the 26 June European Council summit to green-light the opening of this initial negotiation block. Approval would move Ukraine from the preparatory phase into the detailed chapter-by-chapter talks that ultimately determine membership terms.
