EU, Ukraine start formal accession talks after Orban delay

Key Points:

• The EU and Ukraine officially began the first stage of accession negotiations, aiming for Ukraine to eventually join the 28-member bloc, a process delayed for two years due to Hungary's veto under former Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
• Hungary's new Prime Minister Peter Magyar lifted the veto after reaching an agreement with Ukraine to strengthen the rights of the ethnic Hungarian minority, allowing formal talks to proceed.
• European leaders, including European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, praised the move as a historic step, highlighting Ukraine's progress on reforms related to corruption and the rule of law.
• The accession process involves meeting EU standards across multiple clusters, with unanimous approval required from all member states, and typically takes years or even decades to complete, especially complicated by Ukraine's ongoing war with Russia.
• Discussions are ongoing about creating a faster "two-tier membership" or partial membership status to integrate Ukraine and other aspirants more quickly, but proposals have faced resistance both within Ukraine and among EU members.