Croatia expects EU to launch Ukraine accession talks in June 2026

Ukraine is fully prepared to open the first cluster of negotiations in its bid to join the European Union, with Croatia expecting the process to begin in June 2026.

Andreja Metelko-Zgombić, Croatia’s State Secretary for Europe, made the statement ahead of a meeting of the EU General Affairs Council in Brussels on May 26.

“Croatia continues to assert that Ukraine is more than ready to open the first cluster, and we truly expect that this will happen in June,” she said.

Metelko-Zgombić added that Croatia anticipates broad agreement among EU member states on the issue.

“We expect that no member state will have any additional objections on this matter,” she noted.

Other European officials have expressed similar expectations. Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has said he would like the European Union to open all six clusters of accession negotiations with Ukraine before the upcoming June summit.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reiterated his position following talks with Hungary’s Foreign Minister Anita Orbán, stating that accession negotiations should begin before the end of the first half of 2026.

By Tamilla Hasanova