Ukraine has fulfilled key conditions to open formal accession negotiations with the European Union, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. She stated that it is now the EU’s responsibility to move forward and open the first negotiation cluster.

Von der Leyen: Ukraine delivered, now it’s Europe’s move

Speaking on 27 June, Ursula von der Leyen praised Ukraine’s pace of reforms, saying, “Under relentless fire, Ukraine is passing reform after reform.” In her post on X, she emphasized that the EU accession process is merit-based and declared, “Ukraine has delivered – now we must too.”

At a press conference following a European Council session, von der Leyen reiterated the EU’s backing for Ukraine’s EU path. Suspilne reports that she confirmed Ukraine has done its share of the work, and now it is the European Union’s turn to respond by opening the first negotiation cluster.

EU Commission pushes forward, Hungary digs in

Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna stated that Ukraine’s partners “commended Ukraine’s pace of reforms under the most difficult circumstances” and confirmed readiness to open the first cluster of negotiations. However, for talks to begin, all 27 EU member states must agree.

According to Liga, Hungary continues to block the move. On 26 June during the EU summit in Brussels, Hungary, under its pro-Russian government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, announced its opposition to Ukraine’s EU accession. 

Ahead of the EU summit in Brussels, Viktor Orbán claimed that 95% of over 2.1 million participants in his Voks2025 anti-Ukrainian consultative referendum allegedly voted against Ukraine’s EU membership.

Despite its unofficial nature, Orbán is using the vote that is not legally binding as a tool of political leverage within the EU. Kyiv, however, dismisses the move. Stefanishyna called it a “small obstacle” that “won’t prevent the start of negotiations.”

EU funding, sanctions, and support for Ukraine

Suspilne also reports that von der Leyen confirmed €1 billion in EU funding has already been allocated to Ukraine’s defense industry, using profits from frozen Russian assets. She added that Brussels is ready to frontload €11 billion more from the G7 loan package, stressing the urgency of Kyiv’s financial needs.

Von der Leyen also mentioned the EU’s commitment to delivering 2 million artillery shells to Ukraine by 2025. Meanwhile, Brussels is preparing its 18th package of sanctions against Russia, aiming to pressure Moscow into serious talks beginning with a real ceasefire.

Ukraine’s path to EU accession

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Ukraine’s EU membership application on 28 February 2022, days after Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. On 23 June 2022, the European Council granted Ukraine candidate status. Ukraine was tasked with seven key reforms, including tackling corruption and strengthening the rule of law.

On 26 September 2023, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that all the Commission’s recommendations had been fulfilled. The EU Commission then formally recommended starting accession talks on 8 November 2023. EU ambassadors approved a negotiating mandate, and the European Council endorsed it on 21 June 2024.

Talks officially began on 25 June 2024 in Luxembourg, with the bilateral screening of Ukrainian legislation. However, Hungary’s ongoing blockade has stalled the formal opening of negotiation clusters since early 2025.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reiterated the EU's ongoing support for Ukraine at a NATO summit in The Hague on June 24.

"We have designed a funding program of 50 billion euros, we call it Safe, where member states, but also Ukraine and other partners, can take these loans to invest in the (Ukrainian) defense industry," she said, addressing President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"We are integrating our defense industries as if Ukraine was in the EU. This is good for Ukraine. And just as good for Europe, as Ukraine is now home to extraordinary innovation," von der Leyen later said in a post to social media.

NATO is holding a summit in The Hague from June 24-25 with world leaders, including Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump present.

"(M)y dear friend Volodymyr, you're here among friends and we stand by Ukraine from the very first day on and you can count on us also for the future," von der Leyen said.

The leader described the EU's 18th sanctions package as a "biting one" to apply pressure on Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Secondly, of course, there's constant financial support to Ukraine because we know you're fighting a war that is also protecting our values and our principles, and thirdly, indeed, we have to put pressure on President Putin (so) that he comes to the negotiation table," von der Leyen said.

She noted that members of the Group of Seven (G7) will also be implementing additional sanctions against Russia.

"All this shows you are among friends, you can count on us, we stand by your side," von der Leyen said.

The White House has confirmed that Trump and Zelensky will hold a meeting at the NATO summit.

Investigation: How Russia prepares its strategic missile plant for ‘eternal war’

Key findings: * Despite international sanctions, Russia’s strategic missile plant was able to import complex machinery to dramatically increase missile production. * The Kyiv Independent has identified the equipment supplied to the plant, as well as the supply chains, mostly from China. * We located the plant’s new premises, built to house the

The Kyiv IndependentAlisa Yurchenko

Hungary's national consultation on Ukraine's accession to the EU had the lowest ever turnout at such a poll, Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar said on June 21.

"The... government propaganda campaign is a total failure. Based on information we received from multiple sources within Magyar Posta (Hungarian Post), only 3-7% of the sent 'ballots' were returned," Magyar said in a post to social media.

The poll was announced by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in early March and officially launched on April 19 with ballot papers sent to Hungarian citizens. Many ballot papers explicitly encouraged voters to reject Ukraine’s EU bid.

Orban, on April 22, said he voted against Ukraine's accession to the EU in the national consultation, publicly sharing photos of himself marking "against" on the poll ballot.

"This means that realistically, a maximum of 500,000 people may have 'voted' on paper... the Prime Minister’s Office revealed... that the number of online submissions was negligible compared to the paper-based ones," Magyar said.

"This aligns with information received from government sources — indicating that despite the propaganda lies, the total number of 'voters' could be at most 600,000," he added.

Despite the government's resistance, polling shows public support for Ukraine's accession to the bloc. According to Magyar's opposition party, Tisza's "Voice of the Nation" initiative, which received over 1.1 million responses, 58.18% of participants supported Ukraine's EU bid.

Magyar claims that the national poll garnered around 600,000 responses would mean that the opposition party's own polling received more responses than the government poll.

"This is the lowest number in the 'glorious' history of (national consultations). And this was only achieved over several months, with total mobilization and the burning of tens of billions in public funds. A total failure," Magyar said.

Hungarian officials have repeatedly threatened to undermine Ukraine's EU candidacy and EU support for Ukraine. Hungary has repeatedly blocked or delayed EU aid packages for Kyiv.

"(T)he failed, corrupt regime doesn’t care about people's real problems, and doesn’t dare to look people in the eye. They only send them letters," Magyar said.

Comrades, be proud of lying about two million pen pals, funded by 10 billion forints ($29 million) in state propaganda," he added, addressing Hungary's ruling government.

European officials have denounced Hungary for aligning with Russia. European officials, including Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, have suggested stripping Hungary of its voting power within the bloc.

Hungary maintains positive relations with Russia in contrast with other EU members. On March 26, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto visited Moscow to discuss continued economic cooperation between the two countries.

How 3 years of war have ravaged Ukraine’s forests, and the people who depend on them

Editor’s note: This story was published in conjunction with Grist. Twenty-two-year-old software developer Artem Motorniuk has spent his entire life in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine, living in the north and visiting his grandparents in the south. It’s been almost four years since he’s seen them in person.

The Kyiv IndependentChad Small

"At the moment, I am against Ukraine's entry into the European Union," Polish President-elect Karol Nawrocki told Hungarian outlet Mandiner in an interview released on June 7.

"On the one hand, we must support Ukraine in its conflict with the Russian Federation, but Ukraine must understand that other countries, including Poland, Hungary, and other European countries, also have their own interests," he said.

Nawrocki won the second round of the Polish presidential election on June 1 with 50.89% of the vote. He has previously voiced opposition to Ukraine's membership in the EU and NATO, despite supporting Ukraine's sovereignty.

"Poland has such an interest, for example, in the exhumation of the Volyn (massacre) victims," Nawrocki said.

Polish and Ukrainian researchers began exhuming victims of the World War II era massacres on April 24 in Western Ukraine.

It was the first such exhumation since 2017, when Ukraine imposed a moratorium in response to the destruction of Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) memorials in Poland.

"During the campaign, I did not agree, and as president, I will not agree, to unfair competition with Ukraine for Polish agriculture or the logistics sector," Nawrocki said.

EU tariffs on Ukrainian agricultural exports resumed on June 6, amid opposition to Ukrainian exports and its EU accession from eastern European members, including Hungary and Poland.

"I see Ukraine as a country that, although it is very bravely defending itself against the Russian Federation, must also respect the interests of other countries that otherwise support Ukraine," he said.

In contrast to other Eurosceptic leaders in Europe, including Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Nawrocki does not express pro-Russian views, but has repeatedly accused President Volodymyr Zelensky of taking advantage of allies.

Wondering where to start with Dostoevsky? Try his Ukrainian contemporaries instead

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a growing debate has emerged over the cultural and political legacy of Russian literature — particularly the global reverence for classic Russian authors, which critics argue has long served to promote the imperial narratives embedded in their work. As

The Kyiv IndependentKate Tsurkan