Ukraine and Moldova are set to begin EU negotiations for membership. It’s a dream that’s coming real for Ukraine’s president

Ukraine is scheduled to officially start talks on membership to join Ukraine’s European Union later on Tuesday.

BRUSSELS (AP) — Ukraine is set to officially launch membership talks with the European Union on Tuesday in what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described as a dream come true for his country’s citizens more than two years into a war with Russia .

Vice-premier in charge of European as well as Euro-Atlantic integration Olga Stefanishyna will lead Ukraine’s delegation at an intergovernmental meeting in Luxembourg to mark the official start of discussions to align Ukraine’s regulations and standards with the standards from the bloc of 27 countries.

Then, just a few hours later Moldova is a country that was a candidate to be a member of the EU following the Russian attack on Ukraine on February 20, 2022, and was granted the status of a candidate after four months to take part in an intergovernmental conference to officially begin its own process to join the EU.

Ukraine was also seeking for a status as a candidate following Russia attacked. In June 2022, EU leaders have swiftly made this official. However, the process has moved slowly since then and a membership is, if ever may be several years away.

The talks to join Turkey’s negotiating team have lasted more than two decades without any results.

But, beginning the negotiations process has sent a powerful message of solidarity to Ukraine over and above the billions of funding from the EU has given. It’s also a gesture of solidarity with Moldova who has been facing the same challenges as Russia.

“Generations of Ukrainians are achieving the European dream. Ukraine returns into Europe,” Zelenskyy said in a blog post online following EU members voted on Friday to start talks.

Tuesday’s intergovernmental meeting will mark the beginning of talks but negotiations will not begin until some time.

The countries that are applying for membership should be able to bring their laws and standards in line with those in the EU in the 35 policy areas, referred to as chapters. These range from the freedom of movement of goods via fisheries as well as taxation, energy, and the environment, to judicial rights and security.

A unanimous agreement is required by all 27 member states to either open or close chapters which will give ample opportunities for EU nations to call for more work or to defer the process.

Hungary is the country that will take over the rotating EU presidency of the EU’s rotating presidency Belgium from July is a regular culprit in putting in place the stop to EU and NATO assistance for Ukraine.

“We are at the start in the process of screening. It’s extremely difficult to know which stage Ukraine is at. Based on what I’ve seen here in the present they are far from being able to meet the admission requirements,” Hungarian Minister for European Affairs Janos Boka said as he arrived at the location.

With EU Members Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, Ukraine would overtake France and become the largest EU member in the event that it were to join and moved its gravity to the east. Being a major producer of grain, its accession would have significant impact on EU agriculture policies.

Alongside Moldova, Ukraine stands in an extended series of EU hopefuls -including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey — who have a long history of hopes of becoming members and are feeling abandoned by Kyiv’s rapid advancement.

Spanish State Secretary of European Relations Fernando Sampedro Marcos praised both countries for their preparations by stating that they have put in “a tremendous effort in very difficult circumstances in the last months.”

“Of course, this requires reforms and it’s a merit-based process,” the president said and paid homage to countries in the Western Balkans which also want to be part of the group. “We will not leave them behind.”

Ukraine is hoping to join the EU in 2030, however it will need to carry out a plethora of reforms to its legal system and institutions first. This list of daunting tasks is accompanied by a series of steps taken to stop corruption and also includes broad changes to the judiciary and public administration.