The European Union is to recommend the formal launch of membership talks for Ukraine this month

The Financial Times quoted three people familiar with the matter as saying that the European Commission believes Ukraine is ready for EU accession talks and will recommend on Friday (June 7) that Ukraine's accession talks start this month to avoid delays after Hungary takes over the EU presidency.

Russia's war in Ukraine prompted the European Union to overhaul its enlargement process. In June 2022, the EU Heads of State and Government approved the granting of candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova for EU accession. Georgia will also become an EU candidate at the end of 2023. At the same time, some of the six Western Balkan candidate countries have stepped up accession talks.

The European Commission is pushing for the launch of formal negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova in June to send a positive signal for their accession to the EU.

The European Commission will announce Friday that Ukraine has met some of the conditions for membership that it did not meet, including anti-corruption measures, limits on political lobbying, asset declarations for public officials and rules protecting minority languages.

Georgia, which ignored warnings from Brussels and passed a foreign agents law, will also be allowed to start accession talks. The European Commission will report on its assessment of Georgia to the 27 EU ambassadors on Friday.

The commission's proposal requires the unanimous agreement of EU governments, and Hungary is expected to object, citing issues such as the treatment of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has in the past postponed other decisions related to Ukraine, including granting the country candidate status in the European Union and postponing a US $50 billion  aid package for Ukraine.

Although Hungary finally backed down under pressure from other EU member states, Budapest has so far refused to give up its right to veto EU funding decisions for military aid to Ukraine in 2024.

Belgium holds the rotating presidency of the European Union from January 1 this year, and Hungary will take over the rotating presidency of the European Union from July 1. The EU presidency lasts for six months.