Ukraine has opened the first phase of membership talks with the ‌European Union.

Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union (EU) received a boost this week.

Accession negotiations finally kicked off and Ukraine is hoping that will provide some security guarantees as the war with Russia drags on.

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Moscow has long objected to Kyiv strengthening its ties with the West. Now, Ukraine will have to fulfil the EU’s requirements before it can be accepted as a member.

That will include reforms on a host of issues, including tackling corruption.

But what are the risks of integrating a country at war into the bloc? And how will Russia respond?

Peter Zalmayev – Executive Director at Eurasia Democracy Initiative

Theresa Fallon – Director at the Centre for Russia Europe Asia Studies

Alexander Bratersky – Independent Journalist and Political Analyst

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/video/inside-story/2026/6/17/will-ukraine-become-an-eu-member?traffic_source=rss