In a significant political milestone for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the European Union on Thursday reportedly started membership negotiations with Ukraine.
The decision, which met with opposition from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, supports Ukraine’s aspirations to join the West and reduce the long-standing influence of Moscow. Still, the EU negotiations could last several years and face potential disruptions.
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Securing Ukraine’s future in Western institutions requires not only this critical decision but also essential financial aid from the EU. Despite the current lack of agreement on a new budget aid, the EU leaders are working to create a package that includes approximately $36 billion in loans and $19 billion in grants for Ukraine.
Alongside Ukraine, the EU has also decided to start accession talks with Moldova, another ex-Soviet republic facing economic and military pressure from Russia. The EU leaders further agreed on a new package of economic sanctions on Russia, introducing new import and export bans.
Zelenskyy, who attended the EU summit via video due to Orban’s opposition, used his speech to plead with the bloc’s leaders not to “fall back into indecision.”
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