The European Union is considering separating Moldova and Ukraine in their joint accession process after initially pairing their membership bids following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Both countries recently opened the first negotiation cluster, but Moldova’s faster progress and reforms have prompted calls in Brussels to allow it to advance independently.

EU leaders, including Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa, said future progress should be merit-based, with Moldova potentially moving ahead if it continues reforms quickly.

However, officials remain cautious because decoupling Ukraine could be politically sensitive and risk sending the wrong signal during the war, Euro News has reported.

Despite the debate, both countries have expressed a desire to continue progressing through the accession process.