BERLIN, May 30 (TASS) – Berlin believes that Ukraine has met all the criteria to start talks on joining the European Union, Anna Luhrmann, minister of state for Europe and climate at the German Federal Foreign Office, said.

"As far as the federal government is concerned, Ukraine has met all the criteria to start talks on joining the EU in June," the DPA news agency quoted her as saying. According to Luhrmann, in this regard, the German leadership insists that EU member states should agree on a framework for Ukraine’s EU accession talks as soon as possible, which is needed to launch the negotiation process.

Politico reported on May 29, citing an unnamed European official, that the EU authorities would like to start Ukraine accession talks before Hungary takes over the Council of the EU presidency on July 1. According to the media outlet, although Kiev has already implemented some of the measures recommended in the European Commission’s latest report on Ukraine, Hungary still has objections regarding the protection of ethnic and linguistic minorities.