Member-only story
Historic Breakthrough for Ukraine — EU Accession Talks Open With Ukraine & Moldova
Historic news out of Ukraine and Moldova: The EU is opening accession talks with the two countries, meaning that they are officially on their path to becoming EU members.
Of course, the process of becoming an EU state takes a long time. We should not be under any illusion here. It could be up to a decade before Ukraine officially becomes a member.
Nonetheless, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the move a decisive “victory” for the country. It most certainly is.
So, why does EU accession take so long and what will Ukraine need to prioritize before becoming a member?
Let’s discuss.
In light of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, both Ukraine and Moldova were granted EU candidate status in June 2022.
Since then, many EU representatives have been to Ukraine both symbolically and to discuss the potential of another breakthrough. Most recently, in November 2023, we saw the EU Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, visit Zelensky in Kyiv.
The visit was largely symbolic. It was to remind Ukrainians that the EU has not forgotten about them. “You [Ukrainians] have made excellent progress; it is impressive to see, and we will testify to it…
