EU Launches Accession Talks with Ukraine and Moldova

The 27 European Union member states voted Friday night to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, with talks potentially beginning as soon as Monday. The first issues on the agenda will be the bloc’s core values and principles, including the rule of law and democratic institutions.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on X that the decision recognized the “determination, courage and great effort” both countries had shown in pushing reforms “even in the face of enormous challenges.” She called enlargement a strategic choice and said that, in a world of rising uncertainty, “a larger European Union is in our common interest.”

Ukraine and Moldova have both faced Russian military aggression since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and both view EU membership as a major turning point in breaking away from their Soviet past. The Kremlin, by contrast, has viewed Ukraine’s closer ties with the West, including its bid to join NATO, as one of the original justifications for the February 2022 invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly pushed for EU entry as a strategic move to protect his country from future Russian interference. In a post on X, he said, “As we have said, Ukraine is doing what is necessary, and it is important that the European Union also keep its word.” He added that Ukraine also welcomed Moldova’s step and that both countries were taking it together. In Moldova, the breakaway Transnistria region remains under Russian control, and Moscow also tried to interfere in the country’s 2024 presidential election, which ended with pro-Western incumbent Maia Sandu remaining in power.