EU to propose opening Ukraine accession negotiations in June 2026

The European Commission is reportedly set to propose the opening of the first cluster of Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations during an EU ministers’ meeting in Brussels on 16 June 2026. The report, published by Euractiv on Wednesday (27 May), cited a senior EU official. This step would allow EU leaders to approve the decision at the European Council summit in Brussels two days later. Earlier on Tuesday, Euractiv also reported that the EU aims to commence direct membership negotiations before the European Council summit on 18-19 June. However, Ukraine’s membership prospects remain divisive within the EU. In late April, The Economist reported that the EU doubts Ukraine’s membership prospects due to corruption concerns. EU Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius also stated that not all member states support Ukraine’s accession to the bloc. Candidacy status and the commencement of negotiations do not automatically guarantee EU membership. Turkey has been a candidate since 1999, North Macedonia since 2005, Montenegro since 2010, and Serbia since 2012. Croatia, the most recent country to join the EU, officially became a member in 2013 after a decade-long negotiation process.