Hungary has taken a first step toward easing its blockade of Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations, agreeing to begin the procedure for opening one of the remaining negotiation clusters after putting Ukraine’s goal of opening all six clusters by mid-July at risk. According to Polish broadcaster RMF FM, Hungary has agreed to allow the EU to send an official letter to Kyiv and Chișinău, launching the procedure for opening the sixth accession cluster, which covers common foreign and security policy, trade policy, and relations with third countries.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. However, Hungary’s position has only partially softened, as Budapest continues to block the remaining four clusters after refusing in late June to approve similar letters that would have advanced negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. What Hungary’s move changes – and what it doesn’t Formally, Hungary’s decision does not open the sixth cluster but instead allows the procedure required to do so to begin. If the remaining steps proceed without delay, the cluster could officially open on July 14 during a meeting of EU ministers responsible for European affairs. Despite the partial shift, Hungary continues to block the remaining four clusters. So far, only the Fundamentals cluster, which focuses on democracy, the rule of law and public administration, has been formally opened. Gradual approach gains support Hungary may not be the only factor slowing the accession process. According to RMF FM, officials in Brussels say there is no consensus among EU member states on opening all remaining clusters simultaneously. An increasing number of capitals favor a phased, cluster-by-cluster approach instead of opening all negotiations at once.