Ukraine criticizes proposal to advance Moldova EU accession talks separately

Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna criticized suggestions that the European Union might advance Moldova’s EU accession process separately from Ukraine’s.

Her comments came in response to statements by EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, who recently indicated that the EU is considering continuing Moldova’s accession process independently from Ukraine, given Hungary’s ongoing resistance to negotiations with Kyiv. 

Both countries’ accession processes face the challenge of requiring unanimity among EU member states, giving Hungary, which has a pro-Russian aligned government, the ability to unilaterally block progress on Ukraine’s path to membership.

“I consider statements about the possibility of making a decision regarding Moldova without Ukraine during my visit to Budapest unconstructive,” Stefanishyna told Interfax-Ukraine.

The deputy prime minister confirmed she scheduled a phone conversation with Commissioner Kos for 1 May, where she plans to address this issue.

Ukraine and Hungary agreed to begin regular consultations starting 12 May to address Hungarian concerns and potentially unblock the negotiation process, according to Stefanishyna.

“Today I am on a visit to Budapest for consultations on the rights of national communities. This is not an easy dialogue, however, Ukraine is determined to find solutions that will unblock the negotiation process,” Stefanishyna said.

Moldova and Ukraine began their EU accession processes almost simultaneously and have been progressing in parallel until now. While all 27 EU member states have approved starting negotiations with both countries, Hungary blocked talks with Ukraine, citing concerns about the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.

Hungary delayed or vetoed EU military aid packages for Ukraine, opposed sanctions on Russia, and consistently questioned Ukraine’s EU/NATO membership bids. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán claimed Russia’s military superiority makes Ukrainian victory impossible and met Vladimir Putin in July 2024 during the full-scale invasion, expressing willingness to renew EU diplomacy with Moscow.

Earlier, EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová stated that Ukraine could realistically join the European Union by 2030, following the official start of accession negotiations on 25 June 2024.

Mathernová emphasized that while the process may be faster for Ukraine than for some previous candidates due to its determination, the timeline depends on successfully completing each step, including meeting EU standards on rule of law and anti-corruption.

Meanwhile, polls across six EU countries revealed general public support for Ukraine’s EU membership bid, particularly in Denmark (50%) and Poland (47%), though concerns persist about economic costs, security risks, and political power dilution.

While Eastern European nations like Romania (51%) and Poland (48%) strongly favored enlargement, Western members such as Germany (50% opposed) and France (44% opposed) expressed more skepticism, highlighting a divide between older and newer EU states.