The German government has said that Ukraine has fulfilled the reform requirements necessary to initiate discussions about joining the European Union.
“In the view of the German government, Ukraine fulfils all requirements to be able to open EU accession negotiations in June,” German Minister of State for Europe Anna Lührmann told dpa.
“We are therefore urging all member states to quickly agree on the negotiating framework,” said Lührmann, a member of the Greens.
EU leaders in December agreed to start accession negotiations with Ukraine and reaffirmed their commitment to continue providing strong support to the country and its people for as long as necessary.
However, the most recent commission report revealed that Ukraine is falling short in implementing some reforms, especially in combating corruption and protecting minorities, which has led to the agreement that all reform requirements must be met before negotiations could begin.
EU ambassadors plan to meet next week to discuss a potential negotiating framework. Hungary is seen as a potential obstacle.
Ukraine, together with neighbouring Moldova, had applied to join the bloc in early 2022 in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
