The European Union opened two more groups of membership talks with Ukraine on Tuesday, Euronews and the Kyiv Independent reported. The move came after Hungary dropped its veto.

The EU splits membership talks into six groups of reforms, called clusters. With Tuesday's step, four of the six are now open. The two new clusters cover the internal market and competitiveness, and they are the largest by number of policy files, the Kyiv Independent reported. Moldova, which is moving in step with Ukraine, opened the same two clusters.

Hungary had blocked progress over the rights of the ethnic Hungarian minority in Ukraine. The day before, Ukraine's parliament passed a law giving those rights more protection, the Kyiv Independent reported. Under the law, some schools that teach mostly in a minority language get a special status, Euronews reported.

Hungary has been more flexible since Péter Magyar became prime minister in April, Euronews reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Magyar could hold their first meeting in Brussels this week, sources told Euronews, though no date has been set.

"Ukraine is fully committed to the reforms required for membership and intends to move through this work as quickly as possible," said Vsevolod Chentsov, Ukraine's deputy prime minister for European integration, the Kyiv Independent reported.

Two clusters remain. They cover areas such as farming and transport, where some EU countries fear competition from Ukraine, the Kyiv Independent reported. The European Commission and Ireland, which chairs the talks, hope to open them by the end of 2026, the Kyiv Independent reported. Opening clusters does not guarantee membership.

What we know: Ukraine and Moldova have now opened four of the six groups of EU membership talks.
What we don't: Whether the last two groups will open by the end of 2026.