Turnaround at the summit in Brussels
EU opens accession negotiations with Ukraine
December 14, 2023, 6:31 p.m
According to EU Council President Charles Michel, the EU summit clears the way for the start of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova.
The EU summit cleared the way for the start of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. This was announced by EU Council President Charles Michel on Platform X. “The European Council has decided to start accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova,” it said.
The agreement came as a surprise after Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban had previously announced his opposition. “There is no reason to discuss anything because the conditions are not met,” said Orban at the start of the meeting in Brussels.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the decision. “This is a victory for Ukraine. A victory for all of Europe. A victory that motivates, inspires and strengthens,” he wrote on X.
The EU summit also granted Georgia candidate status, wrote Michel. The EU will begin negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina “as soon as the required level of compliance with the accession criteria has been achieved,” it said. “A clear signal of hope for the people there and for our continent,” added the EU Council President.