EU executive proposes to start membership talks with Ukraine once conditions met

"The Commission recommends that the (EU) Council opens accession negotiations with Ukraine," said the Brussels-based European Commission. It added the talks should formally be launched once Kyiv satisfied remaining conditions related to stepping up fight against corruption, adopting a law on lobbying in line with EU standards and strengthening national minority safeguards.

The European Union's executive recommended on Wednesday that the bloc starts membership negotiations with Ukraine once it fulfils outstanding conditions. "The Commission recommends that the (EU) Council opens accession negotiations with Ukraine," said the Brussels-based European Commission.

It added the talks should formally be launched once Kyiv satisfied remaining conditions related to stepping up fight against corruption, adopting a law on lobbying in line with EU standards and strengthening national minority safeguards. The recommendation is an important milestone on Kyiv's road to Western integration and a geo-political gambit for the West as Ukraine has been fighting against a large-scale Russian invasion since February 2022.