Zelensky could celebrate fresh EU accession breakthrough in Brussels next week, source says
President Volodymyr Zelensky will attend a summit of the EU's 27 national leaders on Oct. 15 if Kyiv is able to unlock the next step in its EU accession process, a Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent.
President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to attend a summit of the EU's 27 national leaders on October 15, assuming Kyiv can unlock the next stage in its EU accession process by then, according to a Ukrainian official. This comes after the Ukrainian parliament is expected to pass a law on October 12 that will protect the rights of Ukraine's Hungarian-speaking minority, a condition Hungary has imposed for Kyiv to lift its veto on advancing Ukraine's EU accession process.
If this occurs, and the EU subsequently clears the next two enlargement clusters, Zelensky will be present at the European Council summit, as confirmed by a Ukrainian official briefed on the president's schedule.
Ukraine has already opened two of six enlargement clusters, addressing reforms required to meet EU standards and join the bloc. However, progress has slowed due to the unresolved issue of the ethnic minorities reform. EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos indicated during a press conference on October 5 that the next two clusters could open "next week," but emphasized that member states must expedite the process.
The steps between the law's passage and the intergovernmental conference (IGC) that opens an enlargement cluster are mostly formalities, but they can take time. Typically, IGCs occur on the sidelines of a General Affairs Council meeting, next scheduled in Luxembourg on October 13. Given the time constraints, the IGCs may happen on October 14, the day before the EU leaders' summit.
If all unfolds as planned, Ukraine's next steps will involve opening clusters two and three, which are broad economic reform areas, leaving clusters four and five to address more sector-specific economic concerns. Kos expressed optimism that all six clusters could be unlocked by year-end. If Zelensky is present at the October 15 European Council, he will discuss various topics, including the EU's enlargement future, Ukraine's military efforts, European defense and security, and the EU's 2028-2034 budget, which includes a dedicated line for Ukraine support amounting to 89 billion euros.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
