33 years after the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine has begun its negotiations to join another union instead.
But it will take time.
It is in the EU's ministerial council rooms in Luxembourg that Ukraine's EU Minister Olha Stefanisjyna and Moldova's Prime Minister Dorin Recean are now formally launching their countries' negotiations for EU membership.
This is really a historic moment for my country. All countries stand united behind this decision, says a clearly delighted Stefanisjyna on her way into the meeting.
The start of negotiations takes the form of bilateral conferences, where the start itself is more important than the content.
That Hungary, which has long stalled the process, can still drag it out takes her not so hard. At least not now.
This day is not about Hungary. This day is about Ukraine. All 27 EU countries, including Hungary, have worked hard to get here, says Stefanisjyna.
Takes several years
The continuation will, however, be long.
The important thing is that this conference is now taking place and that they can start with their screening (formal review of legislation). It will take its time, absolutely, but it is also an important proof that both countries have made great progress: Moldova despite lacking resources, both economically and in terms of officials, and Ukraine in the midst of a war, notes Sweden's EU Minister Jessika Roswall (M) on site in Luxembourg.
Going forward, years of discussions are likely to await to make the two countries' laws and societies ready for EU membership.
The process is divided into a total of 35 different chapters, with themes ranging from foreign policy to food safety and procurement. All chapters need to be closed before everything is clear.
Zelenskyj to Brussels?
By comparison, it can be noted that little Montenegro, with half a million inhabitants, has been negotiating since 2012 and still has not formally completed a single chapter.
Ukraine is also expected to be one of the main topics at this week's EU summit in Brussels, where President Volodymyr Zelenskyj may also participate. Among other things, the EU and Ukraine will then sign a security agreement.
A further confirmation that we will continue to support them as long as it takes, says Roswall.
The whole of Ukraine is celebrating, says Olha Stefanisjyna.
Here are the start years for the countries that are currently negotiating EU membership (with capital and population in parentheses):
2012: Montenegro (Podgorica, 616,000 inhabitants)
2014: Serbia (Belgrade, 6.8 million)
2022: Albania (Tirana, 2.8 million) and North Macedonia (Skopje, 2 million)
2024: Ukraine (Kiev, 38 million) and Moldova (Chisinau, 2.6 million)
In addition, Bosnia and Herzegovina have been promised a start to negotiations, but no date yet. Georgia has, in turn, been recognized as a candidate country and Kosovo as a "potential candidate country".
Turkey began negotiations in 2005, but has in practice been frozen since 2016.
