Zelenskyy hails ‘victory’ as EU agrees to open membership talks for Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hailed a “victory” for Ukraine and the European continent after European Union leaders agreed to open membership talks with his country despite months of opposition from Hungary about Kyiv joining.

The decision was announced on Thursday at a summit of the 27 EU countries, at which the bloc also agreed to open formal membership negotiations with Moldova.

European Council President Charles Michel, host of the summit, announced the agreement in a social media post, calling it “a clear signal of hope for their people and for our continent”.

Zelenskyy welcomed the decision as “a victory for Ukraine. A victory for all of Europe. A victory that motivates, inspires, and strengthens,” he said in a post on X.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said it was “a strategic decision and a day that will remain engraved in the history of our union”.

“These countries belong to the European family,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.

Michel said the summit granted EU candidate status to Georgia and would also advance an EU bid by another hopeful – Bosnia and Herzegovina – once it reaches “the necessary degree of compliance” with criteria.

EU diplomats said Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orban, was not in the summit room for the vote on Ukraine but knew and agreed other leaders would vote in his absence. For weeks, Orban had promised to block the deal, which on Thursday he called a “bad decision”.

“Hungary’s stance is clear: Ukraine is not prepared for us to start talks on EU membership,” he said, calling the decision “irrational” and “inappropriate”.