Croatia says Ukraine is "more than ready" to open first EU accession cluster in June

Ukraine is fully ready to open the first cluster in accession negotiations with the European Union, and Croatia expects this to happen in June 2026.

Croatia expects the first negotiating cluster for Ukraine's EU accession talks to be opened in June.

"Croatia continues to say that Ukraine is more than ready to open the first cluster, and we really do expect it to happen in June," Andreja Metelko-Zgombić, State Secretary of the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said before the start of the EU General Affairs Council meeting in Brussels.

She added that Croatia expects that "no member state will have any additional objection to it".

Earlier, Margus Tsahkna said he would like the EU to open all six negotiating clusters for Ukraine before the June summit.

Similarly, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said after talks with his Hungarian counterpart Anita Orbán that accession negotiations should be opened by the end of the first half of 2026.

Previously, Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar explained Hungary's condition for opening the first negotiating cluster with Ukraine.

Read more: Who is the new Hungary? Why Ukraine's EU accession talks are still stalling and what comes next