Poland will not block opening of new EU accession clusters for Ukraine, Sikorski says in Kyiv
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said at a joint briefing in Kyiv with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha that Poland will not block the opening of negotiating clusters in Ukraine's EU accession process. He cautioned that opening clusters does not mean they will be closed quickly, and stressed that the security of Poland and Ukraine are inseparably linked.
Key points
- Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said Poland will not block the opening of negotiating clusters in Ukraine's EU accession.
- Sikorski made the statement at a joint briefing in Kyiv with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha.
- He said EU accession negotiations will not be easy, drawing a parallel with Poland's own experience.
- He cautioned that not blocking the opening of clusters does not mean the clusters will be closed quickly.
- He said the European Commission has already determined that Ukraine is ready for negotiations.
- He expressed hope that Ukraine would complete implementation of the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), which he said could let Ukraine join the EU single market before formal accession.
- Ukrainian authorities consider it realistic to open four more negotiating clusters on EU accession in autumn; on 1 September Hungary refused to approve the screening results for clusters 2 and 3.
Why it matters
Poland's signal removes a potential veto point on the next stage of Ukraine's EU accession and lends political weight to the candidacy by drawing a direct parallel with Poland's own accession experience. Sikorski's framing of Polish and Ukrainian security as inseparably linked reinforces the domestic political rationale for continued Polish support at a time when Russian strikes are occurring near the border.
What happened
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said at a joint briefing in Kyiv with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha that Poland will not block the opening of negotiating clusters in Ukraine's EU accession process. He added that negotiations will not be easy, comparing them to Poland's own accession experience, and stressed that not blocking the opening of clusters does not mean they will be closed quickly. He noted that the European Commission has already determined that Ukraine is ready for negotiations. He also expressed hope that Ukraine would complete implementation of the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), saying this could allow Ukraine to be part of the EU single market even before formal accession. Separately, Ukrainian authorities consider it realistic to open four more negotiating clusters on EU accession in autumn, after Hungary on 1 September refused to approve the screening results for clusters 2 and 3, demanding legislative steps regarding the Hungarian national minority.
Background
On 1 September, Hungary refused to approve the screening results for clusters 2 and 3 for Ukraine, demanding legislative steps regarding the Hungarian national minority. Ukrainian authorities consider it realistic to open four more negotiating clusters on EU accession in autumn.