'Ukraine's future is within the European Union' — Irish PM aims to open all EU negotiation clusters for Kyiv by end of year
"We have opened three negotiating clusters and will do all that we can to ensure that the remaining two are opened before the end of the presidency," Ireland's Prime Minister Micheal Martin said on Nov. 11 alongside President Zelensky.
On November 11, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin declared his continued ambition to advance Ukraine's accession to the European Union (EU) by the end of the year, coinciding with the conclusion of Ireland's presidency of the Council of the EU. The statement was made during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had arrived in Dublin for the European Political Community summit on November 12.
Martin expressed his firm belief that Ukraine's future lies within the European Union, stating, "We have put Ukraine at the heart of our European Union presidency program." He emphasized the EU's 21st package of sanctions against Russia and the ongoing disbursement of the EU support loan, vowing to aid Ukraine's defense against Russia until 2027.
Martin also highlighted the progress made in Ukraine's journey towards EU membership, boasting that three negotiating clusters had been opened thus far and pledged to ensure the remaining two are opened before the presidency's end.
Ireland's current term as chair of the EU's rotating Council Presidency concludes on December 31, 2026. Until then, Dublin is tasked with setting the bloc's agenda and has consistently prioritized EU enlargement. Zelensky expressed gratitude for Martin's support and affirmed Ukraine's readiness to advance its bid for EU integration. He stated, "We are set to open all negotiation clusters this year, this is a very important achievement."
Martin acknowledged that opening the final clusters before the year's end would necessitate persuasion but expressed hope that the EU's goodwill towards Ukraine would aid in meeting the deadline. Zelensky's visit to Ireland followed the latest U.S.-mediated peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, which did not yield immediate progress.
U.S. Envoy Jared Kushner, however, believed the discussions paved the way for future multilateral talks involving Europe. Zelensky emphasized that the war in Ukraine is a war in Europe and stressed the importance of Europe's participation in ending it.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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