Ukraine’s ambassador to the European Union, Taras Kachka, said Hungary has raised no new substantive objections to opening the final two accession clusters, a step that still requires a unanimous Council decision.
European Pravda reported, citing EU diplomats, that Hungary declined to approve screening results for those clusters at Council working-group meetings on Oct. 20 and Oct. 27. Approval of the screening results is a preparatory step, separate from a decision to open the clusters. EconoTimes covered the earlier reported accession setback.
Kachka told Euronews on Tuesday that Budapest wanted more time to review several hundred pages of documents. He said he believed the clusters could open by the end of 2026. That is his assessment of the timetable, rather than an agreed opening date.
Four of Ukraine’s six negotiating clusters had opened by Oct. 13. The two opened that day cover the internal market and competitiveness and inclusive growth, spanning 17 negotiating chapters. The remaining clusters are Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity, and Resources, Agriculture and Cohesion.
Under the current negotiating framework, the Council must agree unanimously before a cluster opens. The European Commission proposed in October that openings instead be decided by qualified-majority voting. The proposal has not changed the rule governing the two outstanding clusters.
Ukraine’s parliament adopted a minority education law on Oct. 12. The Verkhovna Rada said it was intended to expand opportunities to use eligible minority languages in education and preserve instruction in those languages when schools are reorganized or closed.
Kachka also said Kyiv aims to complete accession negotiations in 2027 or 2028, potentially sooner. That is Ukraine’s goal, not an EU deadline. Finishing negotiations would still leave a separate accession treaty process involving EU institutions and ratification by Ukraine and every member state.
The Commission’s 2026 Enlargement Package is due Nov. 4 and will provide its next assessment of Ukraine’s progress. The assessment cannot itself open the remaining clusters; that decision remains with the Council.
