New Delhi, June 18 -- Ukraine on Monday officially started European Union membership negotiations, launching a process that will require its government to commit to years of political reforms even as it fights a Russian invasion.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka took part in an intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg to open talks that will help Kyiv align with the 27-member bloc's laws, standards and values.

"Aggression against Ukraine and threats against Europe is a permanent policy of Russia, so that's why we need to be united," Kachka told journalists. "That's why we need faster and very comprehensive accession to the European Union."

Ukraine sees EU membership as a security guarantee for a stable future once the war...