Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that Ukraine will complete technical preparations for EU accession talks within days, marking a critical step toward European integration. Speaking in a WhatsApp media chat, Zelenskiy emphasized that Kyiv is ready to begin negotiations on all topics, though he noted that not all EU leaders are prepared to grant Ukraine this opportunity.

Ukraine received EU candidate status in February 2022, shortly after Russia's invasion, but progress has stalled due to Hungary's opposition. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has blocked unanimous approval needed to open the six accession clusters, while also derailing a 90 billion euro EU aid package. Orban has accused Ukraine of disrupting Russian oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline, which Kyiv denies.

Zelenskiy stressed that EU membership represents a cornerstone of Ukraine's post-war future and security guarantees. He suggested that setting a concrete EU accession date at war's end would avoid repeating NATO's mistakes. While EU officials caution that Ukraine needs years of reforms to meet entry criteria, Zelenskiy maintains the country will be technically ready by next year, with political will from partners determining the timeline.