EU Ministerial Meeting on European Affairs to Be Held in Ukraine Next Month

The European Union (EU) will hold an informal ministerial meeting on European affairs in Ukraine, which is currently seeking EU membership, next month.

According to Politico Europe on November 12, an informal EU ministerial meeting on European affairs will take place in Lviv, western Ukraine, on December 10-11. Denmark, which holds the rotating EU presidency for the second half of the year, and Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka jointly sent invitations to EU member states on November 10 (local time) to attend the meeting in Ukraine.

In the invitation, they stated, "The main focus of the discussions will be the progress of Ukraine’s accession to the EU," adding, "This meeting will serve as an opportunity to review achievements, share opinions on the next steps, and reaffirm political support for Ukraine’s reform and integration efforts." They further emphasized, "By holding the meeting in Ukraine, we will send a clear and unified political message that Ukraine’s future lies within the EU."

Ukraine obtained EU candidate status in June 2022, following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war. However, due to opposition from Hungary, a pro-Russian member state, sectoral negotiations have not taken place. EU regulations stipulate that unanimous consent from all 27 member states is required to begin sectoral negotiations with a candidate country.

As a result, EU diplomats are reportedly discussing a "pre-emptive advancement" approach that would allow Ukraine and neighboring Moldova to pursue the next stage of reforms even without official EU approval, according to anonymous sources cited by Politico.

One anonymous source said, "The key is not to wait, but to move forward with as much as possible," adding, "That way, we can act immediately when Hungary no longer exercises its veto."