Zelensky and EU leaders aim to open all Ukraine accession clusters by end of 2026
At a Brussels summit on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and EU leaders said they expect Ukraine to open its two remaining EU accession negotiation clusters and fully launch accession talks by the end of the year. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa backed the timeline and praised Ukraine's reforms, while Hungary secured the removal of the phrase "as soon as possible" from the summit conclusions.
Key points
- Ukraine plans to open the remaining two EU accession negotiation clusters by the end of the year.
- EU leaders and Zelensky publicly stated the expectation to open all negotiation clusters by the end of 2026.
- Hungary secured the removal of the "as soon as possible" formulation from the final summit document.
- Zelensky met Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar one-on-one for roughly 25–30 minutes; both leaders positively assessed the meeting.
- The 27 EU leaders confirmed readiness to increase sanctions pressure on Russia and condemned the US decision to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian diesel fuel.
- The EU draft budget for 2028–2034 allocates 100 billion euros in aid to Ukraine, with no EU states reportedly advocating a cut.
- An EU summit on the next EU budget is expected in November, with the process planned to conclude in December.
Why it matters
The summit signals continued momentum in Ukraine's EU accession path despite Hungary's pushback on the summit language, and shows the EU's sustained political and financial backing of Kyiv during the war, including a draft 100-billion-euro aid envelope in the 2028–2034 budget. The direct Zelensky–Magyar meeting points to a possible thaw in previously tense Ukrainian-Hungarian relations.
What happened
On Friday in Brussels, ahead of a European Council meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and EU leaders told journalists they expect Ukraine to open its two remaining EU accession negotiation clusters and fully launch accession talks by the end of the year. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa publicly endorsed that timeline and praised Ukraine and the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, for carrying out reforms. Zelensky thanked European colleagues for the EU Council's earlier decision to open clusters 2 and 3.
Hungary secured the removal of the formulation about opening the clusters "as soon as possible" from the final summit document, and the summit produced no breakthrough decisions on financing Ukraine or on specific accession timelines. The 27 EU leaders confirmed readiness to increase sanctions pressure on Russia and condemned the US decision to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian diesel fuel. The European Council also stated there should be no normalization of Russia and Belarus's participation in international sports and cultural events, including with their national symbols, until a just and lasting peace in Ukraine is established.
Zelensky held a roughly 25–30-minute one-on-one meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar during the summit; both leaders assessed the meeting positively and instructed their foreign ministers to continue the dialogue. The EU draft budget for 2028–2034 currently allocates 100 billion euros in aid to Ukraine, and according to sources of European Pravda, no EU states are advocating reducing that figure. A separate EU summit on the EU budget is expected in November, with the budget process planned to be completed in December.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian outlets center Zelensky's statements and his bilateral meetings, emphasizing his determination to open the remaining clusters and his engagement with EU leaders and with the Hungarian and Polish prime ministers. They highlight continued EU solidarity, sanctions pressure on Russia and the Verkhovna Rada's reform progress.
Where reporting differs
Most reporting frames the Brussels meeting as a confident step forward toward opening all negotiation clusters by the end of 2026, while some sources note that Hungary's removal of the "as soon as possible" formulation and the absence of breakthrough decisions on financing or accession timelines tempered that progress.
Background
The summit took place on Friday in Brussels ahead of a European Council meeting. Hungary had earlier agreed to lift its veto on Ukraine's progress in the EU process and to move to a more constructive discussion of national-minority rights issues. An EU summit on the next EU budget is expected in November, with the process planned to conclude in December.