BRUSSELS (AP) \u2014 The European Union launched membership talks with Ukraine on Tuesday, a decade after Russian troops seized the Crimean Peninsula to deter the country from moving closer to the West, part of a chain of events that set the two neighbors on the\u00a0path to war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukraine\u2019s accession negotiations were set in motion at an intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg. Moldova is also due to launch its membership talks later Tuesday. While the events are a major milestone on their European paths, the talks could take years to conclude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In opening remarks presented via video-link, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal described it as \u201ca historic day\u201d that marks \u201ca new chapter\u201d in his country\u2019s ties with the bloc, particularly as the war with Russia rages on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe fully understand that there is still much work ahead of us on the path to accession. We are ready for it. We have demonstrated that we can move swiftly and achieve the impossible,\u201d Shmyhal said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, whose country currently holds the EU\u2019s rotating presidency, described it as \u201ca historic moment for us all, and marks a milestone in our relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lahbib said the EU condemns \u201cRussia\u2019s unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine and salutes the resilience of the Ukrainian people,\u201d and added that the bloc will continue to support Ukraine in the war \u201cfor as long as it takes and as intensely as needed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukraine\u2019s delegation was led in Luxembourg by deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration Olga Stefanishyna. \u201cThis is a truly historical moment for my country. All the nation stands as one behind this decision,\u201d she told reporters as she arrived for the ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stefanishyna said the hope embodied in the opening of the talks will give Ukraine\u2019s citizens \u201cthe moral power to continue withstanding\u201d the Russian invasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The intergovernmental conference officially started the process of aligning the country\u2019s laws and standards with those of the 27-nation bloc, which is notably concerned about corruption in Ukraine. However, the actual negotiations are unlikely to begin for a few months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both Ukraine and\u00a0Moldova\u00a0applied to join the EU in the days and weeks after Russia invaded in February 2022. By June 2022, EU leaders\u00a0had quickly made it\u00a0all official. But things have moved more slowly since then for Kyiv and membership, if it comes, might be years away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turkey\u2019s accession talks have lasted almost two decades without result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, starting the talks process is sending another strong signal of solidarity with Ukraine beyond the\u00a0financial support\u00a0the EU has provided, which officials estimate at around 100 billion euros ($107 billion). It\u2019s also a show of support for Moldova, which has faced its own challenges with Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Candidate countries must bring their laws and standards into line with those of the EU in 35 policy areas, known as chapters, ranging from the free movement of goods through fisheries, taxation, energy and the environment to judicial rights and security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unanimous agreement must be given by all 27 member countries to open or close chapters, providing ample opportunity for EU nations to demand more work or to delay proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hungary, which takes over the EU\u2019s rotating presidency from Belgium in July, has routinely put the brakes on EU and NATO support for Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are still at the beginning of the screening process. It\u2019s very difficult to say at what stage Ukraine is in. From what I see here, as we speak, they are very far from meeting the accession criteria,\u201d Hungarian Minister for European Affairs Janos Boka said as he arrived at the venue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bordering EU members Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, Ukraine would overtake France to become the largest member of the bloc if it joined, shifting its center of gravity further eastward. As a top grain producer its entry would have a huge impact on EU agriculture policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Together with Moldova, Ukraine stands in a long line of EU hopefuls \u2014 Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey \u2014 with years-long membership aspirations and which have felt\u00a0left behind\u00a0by Kyiv\u2019s rapid progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n