Tony Webster
"The EU Council will now take charge, making decisions grounded in the recommendations and evaluations provided by the European Commission," the spokesperson stated during a briefing in Brussels on Thursday.
She was replying to a request for her views on a statement by EC President Ursula von der Leyen, released the previous day on the social media platform X, which said that "the upcoming weeks will be vital for making decisive moves in the accession process" for Ukraine.
Pinho stated that the matter will be addressed at the General Affairs Council on June 16 and during the European Council meeting on June 18-19, where Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar will represent Hungary for the first time. Pinho stated, "We will wait to observe the positions established at these two essential events before determining if we should commence negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova regarding the initial cluster."
In response to a question about whether member states would consider German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's May 20, 2026 proposal for Ukraine to become an "associate member" of the EU without voting rights, the EC representative replied: "I think the conversation will occur within a wider context, and specific details won't be addressed."
source: reuters.com
She was replying to a request for her views on a statement by EC President Ursula von der Leyen, released the previous day on the social media platform X, which said that "the upcoming weeks will be vital for making decisive moves in the accession process" for Ukraine.
Pinho stated that the matter will be addressed at the General Affairs Council on June 16 and during the European Council meeting on June 18-19, where Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar will represent Hungary for the first time. Pinho stated, "We will wait to observe the positions established at these two essential events before determining if we should commence negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova regarding the initial cluster."
In response to a question about whether member states would consider German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's May 20, 2026 proposal for Ukraine to become an "associate member" of the EU without voting rights, the EC representative replied: "I think the conversation will occur within a wider context, and specific details won't be addressed."
source: reuters.com