EU affairs ministers approved opening Ukraine’s Cluster 6 talks on Tuesday, moving Kyiv deeper into accession negotiations on external relations, security and defence.
Hungary’s two-year veto collapsed after Péter Magyar’s new government worked with Kyiv to resolve a dispute over the Hungarian minority in western Ukraine; Cluster 1 had opened in June.
Marta Kos said Ukraine’s wartime capabilities—especially in drones—strengthen the case for membership, arguing its integration would bolster Europe’s security, industry and strategic autonomy.
Taras Kachka said the accession track already underpins practical security ties, including EU military funding, joint production and alignment on foreign policy, defence policy and arms controls.
Moldova was also expected to open Cluster 6, while Albania and Montenegro advanced other chapters in a broader EU enlargement push dubbed “Super Tuesday.”