EU leaders, Zelensky urge swift opening of Ukraine accession talks

European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday called for the immediate advancement of accession negotiations.

“The Presidents commended the significant progress Ukraine has made on its EU accession path. They called for the opening of negotiation clusters without delay,” the leaders said in a joint statement issued following their meeting in the Greek Cypriot Administration.

Ukraine was granted EU candidate status in 2022 following the start of the war with Russia, and accession talks formally began in 2024.

“Now it’s time to look forward and to prepare the next step. And the next step is to open the first cluster of negotiations for Ukrainian accession to the European Union,” Costa told reporters, flanked by von der Leyen and Zelensky.

The three leaders emphasized the need to maintain pressure on Moscow to end its “aggression” and engage in “meaningful” peace negotiations.

They also welcomed the adoption of a €90 billion (about $105 billion) Ukraine support loan for 2026 and 2027, aimed at helping the country meet urgent budgetary and defense needs, further calling on third countries to help bridge remaining financial gaps, underscoring the need for sustained international support.