Ukraine's EU screening progressing at “unprecedented pace” — European Commission

This was stated by European Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier during a briefing in Brussels on April 22, in response to a question from a European Pravda correspondent.

Mercier stated that enlargement remained one of the Commission's main priorities. He mentioned that accession talks with Ukraine were launched in June 2024, and the country was showing consistent progress. He noted that they were currently in the process of bilateral screening across various thematic clusters of EU law.

He also explained that an accelerated procedure was being applied in Ukraine’s case, with the screening proceeding at an unprecedented speed. This, he highlighted, was made possible by the close cooperation between Commission experts and Ukrainian partners, ensuring maximum efficiency.

Mercier noted that this phase of the process will continue through the autumn.

He also confirmed that Ukraine is ready to open the first negotiation cluster, “Fundamentals,” but emphasized that this step requires unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states.

As previously reported, Hungary has blocked the opening of the first cluster, citing additional demands related to the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region.

Mercier concluded by stating that discussions on this matter are ongoing within the EU Council.

The spokesperson stressed that, for its part, the Commission continued to fully support Ukraine in every possible way — through technical, political, and financial means. He added that they would continue to do so and maintained an active dialogue with all member states.

• European countries are likely to change their strategy regarding aid to Ukraine, shifting the focus from supplying ready-made weapons to funding the development of the defense industry.