The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, stated that the EU wishes to start the accession negotiations for Ukraine.

Antonio Costa, the President of the European Council, stated that the European Union "also proposes to start negotiations for Ukraine's accession as soon as possible," during a press conference in Oslo. Although the American plan suggests a possible accession of Ukraine in January 2027, experts consider this timeline unrealistic.

Costa emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum in the enlargement process, but could not confirm an exact date for the start of negotiations. Despite the war, Ukraine continues to implement the necessary reforms to become an EU member, meeting the accession criteria established in Copenhagen.

However, accession requires the approval of all member states, and Hungary, led by Viktor Orban, remains reluctant regarding Ukraine's candidacy. Costa mentioned that, although Budapest accepted the status of candidate country in 2022, the accession process is complex, considering the precedent of Finland, which joined in less than three years, compared to Turkey, which has been waiting for nearly 30 years.