12 EU members states call for start of negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova

In a letter addressed on 5 June to the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council, twelve EU member states called for “the adoption of the negotiating frameworks for Ukraine and Moldova by the General Affairs Council in June [25] at the latest, in order to convene Intergovernmental Conferences with both countries by the end of June 2024”.
Why is this relevant
The adoption of the decision to start negotiations with the two countries would be key for maintaining the new momentum that the EU enlargement agenda has gained after Russia’s illegal aggression against Ukraine and for underscoring the geopolitical significance of enlargement process.
Following the war in Ukraine the EU began to adopt a more strategic approach to enlargement. Spurred on by concerns about Russian meddling and efforts to foment tensions and conflict in areas such as Moldova and the Western Balkans, it has worked to revive the stalled integration process and reenforce the EU perspective of these areas.
Nevertheless, difficulties in reaching unanimity by the EU member states persist. This was shown most recently by the failure to reach an agreement at the EU’s Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) on 29 May, as a result of Hungarian objections concerning Ukraine. The matter will be revisited by the ambassadors of the twenty-seven countries on 7 June.
Signatories of the letter advocating for start of negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova included Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Sweden.