The EU can begin negotiations with Ukraine in June

The difficulty was the subject when the EU’s European ministers gathered in Brussels on Tuesday.

They began the day with a breakfast assembly on the membership negotiations with Moldova.

In accordance with 5 diplomats who Politico have spoken to, officers in Brussels at the moment are pushing to get Hungary to comply with the subsequent step within the course of in direction of Ukrainian EU membership.

The purpose is to get the formal negotiations underneath manner as early as 25 June, two days earlier than the final EU summit earlier than the summer time will get underway.

Confirms

On the best way to the Council of Ministers assembly in Brussels, Belgian Overseas Minister Hadja Lahbib confirms the data.

– We’re working to get this in place by the tip of June, earlier than our chairmanship interval expires, she says.

Sweden’s Europe Minister Jessika Roswall can also be preserving her fingers crossed.

– I think about that we’ll have a choice on the framework for the membership negotiations and an introductory convention underneath the Belgian chairmanship. That’s our ambition, she tells TT.

On the summit in December, the EU international locations agreed to open the door to Ukraine and Moldova.

The historic determination was made after Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who fought in opposition to it to the tip, walked down the aisle.

Should agree on framework

The subsequent step within the course of is to open the formal negotiations through an intergovernmental convention with Ukraine and Moldova.

However earlier than this will occur, the EU international locations will need to have agreed amongst themselves on a framework for the negotiations.

The European Fee despatched a draft framework in March.

However to this point, Hungary will need to have stepped on the brake pedal. Formally, the reason being dissatisfaction with how Ukraine handles the Hungarian minority within the nation.

Ukraine is alleged to have labored laborious to satisfy the Hungarian calls for, not least to keep away from the case being relegated to the ready room when Hungary takes over the presidency of the EU from 1 July.

On the identical time, it’s conceivable that Hungary doesn’t need to let the problem of Ukraine overshadow their interval, and subsequently agrees to open negotiations, says a diplomat.