European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced after the Brussels summit that the European Commission has recommended that the EU Council open all negotiation clusters for the Republic of Moldova’s EU accession process.
She said Moldova is technically ready to advance to this stage and emphasized that the EU will assess Moldova and Ukraine separately. Von der Leyen also noted that Moldova is progressing rapidly on its European path.
European Council President António Costa stated that discussions with Russia about the withdrawal of Russian troops from Transnistria are not currently possible in the context of Ukraine peace negotiations. He said Russia has not shown readiness for meaningful peace talks, and therefore conditions for such negotiations do not exist at this stage.
Costa added that the European Union continues to aim for a just and lasting peace for Ukraine and is increasing economic pressure on Russia while maintaining support for Kyiv.
Earlier, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas said during a visit to Chișinău on 8 May that any future EU negotiations with Russia on peace in Ukraine should include a demand for the withdrawal of Russian forces from the Transnistrian region of Moldova.