Politico: E.U. on track to announce Ukraine accession talks by end of year

The E.U. plans to formally announce the start of negotiations with Ukraine on its future membership, say three European diplomats who spoke with Politico.

The European Commission will publish a progress report in November, outlining the extent to which Ukraine fulfills the conditions necessary for joining the bloc. The commission will then make a statement, after which it will be “very hard for member states not to say let's open negotiations,” according to a Politico source, who commented on condition of anonymity.

To start E.U. membership talks, Kyiv must fulfill seven conditions set by the European Commission. Ukrainian authorities have reported that so far, they have met only two, related to judicial reform and media law. An E.U. official told Politico that Kyiv is making progress and that the only concerning issue in the short term was connected to the situation of minorities in Ukraine.

Politico's sources say that E.U. leaders will issue a political statement that would authorize the talks without yet agreeing on their legal framework.

Ukraine applied for E.U. membership immediately after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. On June 23, 2022, E.U. leaders agreed on E.U. candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova. According to various estimates, Ukraine may need from 10 to 20 years for full-fledged E.U. integration.