The European Union has officially agreed to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, launching what could be the most consequential expansion of the bloc since its 2004 wave of enlargement brought in ten new member states at once.
EU ambassadors from all 27 member states reached consensus on June 12-13, 2026, approving the start of the first negotiation cluster, known as “Fundamentals.” The talks are set to formally begin on June 15, 2026.
How we got here
Ukraine and Moldova received EU candidate status in June 2022, a decision made in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The European Council then greenlit the opening of negotiations in December 2023.
