BRUSSELS (AP) 鈥� European Union nations agreed on Friday to open with Ukraine next week, officially launching the process for the war-torn country to eventually join the world鈥檚 biggest trading bloc.
At a meeting in Brussels, ambassadors from the 27 EU nations decided to officially open negotiations with Ukraine as well as with Moldova, which Russia has also tried to drag back , on Monday in Luxembourg.
Ukraine sees EU membership as an important 鈥渟ecurity guarantee鈥� for a stable future once war with Russia ends.
Its best guarantee would be NATO membership, but the Trump administration insists that . Others oppose it joining while fighting continues. Russia is strongly against it, and has cited moves toward NATO membership as a reason for launching its full-scale invasion in 2022, though it has not objected to EU membership for Kyiv.
Countries hoping to join the EU must complete negotiations in 35 policy areas, or chapters, ranging from agriculture to trade, a process which can take years.
An intergovernmental conference will be held on Monday to open key chapters 鈥� grouped together as 鈥渃lusters鈥� 鈥� concerning the values and principles on which the bloc was founded.
鈥淭his is a recognition of the determination, courage and hard work shown by both countries in advancing reforms, even in the face of immense challenges,鈥� EU Council President and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.
They described the move as 鈥渁 strategic choice鈥� that strengthens 鈥減eace, security and prosperity across our continent.鈥� It鈥檚 also a 鈥渟ignal that the EU鈥檚 offer of peace, stability and opportunity is unmatchable,鈥� they said.
Ukraine officially applied for EU accession less than a week after Russia invaded in February 2022. The EU commission has praised the country for reforms it has been able to push through in wartime, although deep concerns about and justice standards remain.
Last month, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to consider offering 鈥渁ssociate membership鈥� to Ukraine and breathe new life into talks aimed at ending more than four years of war with Russia.
Other countries 鈥� France and the Netherlands among them 鈥� have suggested work arounds to bring Ukraine into the fold more quickly but without the rights of full membership.
It all comes as the EU weighs whether to try to launch its own negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with bogged down while America鈥檚 attention focuses on the .
Under Merz鈥檚 proposals, Ukraine would take part in EU meetings, but without voting rights, and would also have non-voting 鈥渁ssociate members鈥� of the bloc鈥檚 powerful executive branch, the European Commission, and the European Parliament.
All 27 EU members must agree before each policy chapter can be opened, and then again for it to be closed. Hungary, notably, the opening of negotiations, but the arrival of a new government in Budapest has softened that stance.
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