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EU envoys greenlight first phase of membership talks for Ukraine and Moldova

By Reuters Reuters
The Ukrainian national flag flies near the Motherland monument at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 8, 2026. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
The Ukrainian national flag flies near the Motherland monument at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 8, 2026. REUTERS/Thomas Peter Thomas Peter Reuters

BRUSSELS - Ambassadors from the European Union's 27 countries agreed on Friday to advance membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova, with the first phase of negotiations expected to begin on Monday.

The Cyprus rotating presidency of the Council of the EU said in a statement that it will convene the first accession conferences with Ukraine and Moldova on Monday.

(Reporting by Lili Bayer and Andrew Gray, editing by Inti Ladnauro)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 1:31 PM.

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