The Prime Minister oh Spain: It is time for the EU to open its doors and integrate Ukraine

Spain insists on starting negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union by December 31.

This was stated by the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, Reuters reports.

He said that he hopes to start negotiations between the EU and Ukraine before the end of Spain's presidency of the Council of the EU, which ends on December 31.

«I started the Spanish presidency with a trip to Kyiv and I hope to end it by opening negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU now that the report of the European Commission is already known,» said Pedro Sánchez at the plenary session of the European Parliament.

He also added that «the time has come for the EU to open its doors and integrate Ukraine, as well as Moldova and the countries of the Western Balkans».

It was previously reported that the start of official negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU may be postponed until March 2024, if Hungary does not give its consent at the EU summit in Brussels on December 14-15.

We will remind that the conference of presidents of the European Parliament publicly advocated for the European Council to confirm the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU.

But Viktor Orbán insists that the EU summit in mid-December should not consider the issue of starting negotiations with Ukraine on joining the European Union, because the conclusion of the European Commission is «unfounded and poorly prepared».

In turn, French President Emmanuel Macron invited Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to Paris to find a compromise regarding the start of negotiations with Ukraine on its accession to the EU.