EU Opens Accession Negotiations on External Relations for Ukraine and Moldova

The European Union unanimously approved the opening of the sixth accession negotiation cluster – covering external relations, security and defence – for both Ukraine and Moldova. The new cluster is scheduled to be launched on 14 July 2026 in Brussels, following the Irish Council presidency’s confirmation.

The decision came after Hungary’s new prime minister, Péter Magyar, withdrew the previous two‑year veto that had blocked Ukraine’s accession talks, allowing the EU to move forward with the first cluster on fundamental values and now the external‑relations cluster. EU ambassadors also noted that both countries are technically ready to start all remaining clusters, though further negotiations on market, green and cohesion chapters are expected later in the year.

In parallel, Moldova announced it will host the 2027 Conference of the Presidents of the Parliaments of EU candidate states, cementing its role in the broader enlargement process and providing a platform for inter‑parliamentary dialogue among candidate countries.