Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Taras Kachka, has announced that Kyiv anticipates the opening of negotiation clusters for EU membership within the next few weeks. This statement comes amid ongoing discussions between Ukrainian officials and their European counterparts.
Kachka pointed to the upcoming meeting of European affairs ministers scheduled for May 26 as a potential milestone for initiating these negotiations. He emphasized that while informal talks are already taking place between Brussels and Kyiv, any official move toward membership requires unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states.
In response to proposals from France and Germany regarding a symbolic integration format that would exclude access to the EU budget and voting rights, Kachka firmly rejected this approach.
“The only model of accession we seek is a full, classic membership in the European Union according to established methodology,”
he stated, expressing confidence that Ukraine could fulfill most of the necessary steps for EU membership by the end of 2027.
“2027 is indeed a good target, at least for closing most chapters. And, of course, for starting the preparation of the accession treaty,”
Kachka added.
Meanwhile, a European official confirmed that EU leaders discussed the expansion of the bloc with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a recent summit in Cyprus. They welcomed the recent decision to unblock a €90 billion loan and the 20th sanctions package against Russia.
“The next step will be the EU’s expansion: all conditions are in place for opening the first negotiation clusters for membership in the coming weeks and months,”
the official remarked.
During the summit, several politicians also stressed the need to enhance military support for Ukraine. However, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic expressed skepticism about the feasibility of Ukraine’s accession by January 1, 2027. In comments to reporters, he acknowledged his support for Kyiv’s EU aspirations but noted the challenges involved.
“I conveyed this to President Zelensky during my visit to Kyiv. We are the newest EU member and understand how complex this process is. If no clusters have been opened yet and it is nearly May, no expansion process has been completed in such a tight timeframe,”
Plenkovic explained.
He reflected on Croatia’s own accession process, which took six years of negotiations before joining the EU, highlighting that while there is goodwill to expedite Ukraine’s membership, he believes full membership within eight months is unlikely.
“From the moment we began intergovernmental conferences, which spanned from 2005 to 2011, it was a lengthy process. While I think there is a willingness to accelerate the process, based on my knowledge and experience, achieving full membership with all classic procedures in eight months is improbable,”
he concluded.
On April 23, Zelensky visited Cyprus to participate in the EU leaders’ summit, where he met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, and various EU leaders.
As for the timeline for Ukraine’s EU membership, Zelensky expressed hopes for accession by 2027 as early as January 27. However, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated on January 28 that joining the EU in the near term is not feasible, asserting that any candidate must first meet the Copenhagen criteria, a process that typically takes years. He emphasized the importance of providing Ukraine with a long-term perspective for integration.
On January 29, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi noted that many EU member states are eager to see Ukraine join the bloc by 2027. He acknowledged that while specific timelines remain unclear, efforts to expedite Ukraine’s Euro-integration are actively underway.
On January 30, Zelensky asserted that Ukraine would be ready for EU membership discussions, including all negotiation clusters, by the end of 2026. Additionally, Deputy Head of the President’s Office Ihor Zhovkva stated on February 5 that Ukraine is counting on a political decision regarding EU membership by 2027, which he described as a foundation for future security guarantees for both Ukraine and Europe.
Ukraine's government is optimistic about opening EU membership negotiations soon, aiming for significant progress by 2027. However, skepticism remains from some EU leaders regarding the feasibility of this timeline.