Brussels, July 14 (SANA)The European Union launched a new phase of Ukraine’s accession negotiations on Tuesday, as Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said prospects for a ceasefire or peace agreement remained unlikely in the near term amid expectations that Russia would seek to prolong the war.

EU ministers responsible for European affairs met in Brussels with their Ukrainian counterpart to begin negotiations on six clusters of policy chapters covering a broad range of sectors, according to Agence France-Presse. The move marks another step in Kyiv’s bid to accelerate its path toward EU membership, although the accession process is expected to remain lengthy.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said opening new negotiating chapters represents an important milestone in the EU’s enlargement agenda and called for the progress to be translated into practical measures.

Ukraine, which applied for EU membership after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, must align its legislation with EU laws across key areas including the environment, agriculture, justice and governance before it can join the bloc. The EU announced on June 13 that it would resume accession talks with Kyiv after Hungary lifted its veto.

Separately, speaking to reporters in Paris, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said a ceasefire or peace agreement did not appear likely in the near future because of what he described as Russia’s hard-line position.

“At this stage, a ceasefire or peace agreement in the near future does not appear likely,” Tusk said, adding that Russia was expected to intensify its military operations and could seek to prolong the conflict until at least the winter.

Tusk said he discussed the situation with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The developments come as fighting between Russia and Ukraine continues alongside expanding aerial attacks deep inside both countries, with no immediate signs of a diplomatic breakthrough.F.J./ABD