In its EU bid, Ukraine juggles ambitious ideals with hard truths
By Euronews Brussels bureau
Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission President, and a deployment of 15 Commissioners have travelled to Kyiv to meet face-to-face with their Ukrainian counterparts.
The high-profile trip, details of which were carefully kept under wraps for security reasons, took place as Russia prepares to launch a new offensive and the war nears its one-year anniversary.
“Our presence in Kyiv today gives a very clear signal: The whole of the European Union is in this with Ukraine, for the long haul,” von der Leyen said, speaking next to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The joint meeting was meant to strengthen cooperation and deepen legislative alignment in areas such as telecommunications, financial services and market surveillance in a bid to bring Ukraine closer to European standards. Humanitarian aid, military training, new sanctions on Russia and the investigation of war crimes were also high on the agenda.
However, one pressing topic dominated talks: Ukraine’s bid to become a EU member state.
If you recall, Ukraine was unanimously granted candidate status back in June in what EU leaders called a “historic” decision. The moment was celebrated across Europe and represented one of Kyiv’s greatest geopolitical victories since the war broke out.
But as the euphoria from those summer days faded away, a new picture emerged: the tortuous, technically complex and highly conditional accession process to join the bloc. Countries like Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey know first-hand how easily this inspiring journey can turn into an exasperating back-and-forth. In fact, “stuck in limbo” appears to be the most common outcome for those who had dared apply for membership.
That’s why alarms rang as soon as Ukrainian officials said they hope to meet all accession requirements no later than 2026. Behind closed doors, diplomats and officials in Brussels dismissed the timeline as unrealistic and downright unfeasible.
“It's important that the legitimacy of the methodology be upheld,” said a senior EU official ahead of the trip.
Speaking to our reporter Sasha Vakulina, who is in Kyiv following the summit, Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, struck a sober tone and conceded the accession process was “all very complicated.”
“Membership in the European Union is a combination of the accomplishment of a country but also the political will of the leaders to take this decision. So, it is a very multi-layered process,” Stefanishyna told Sasha.
“The major contribution Ukraine can make to make sure that this decision is taken as soon as possible is making sure that we are prepared for this window of opportunity. So that’s why we advocate for opening the accession talks or reaching a political consensus already this year.”
So far, Ukraine remains a candidate country on paper. Formal accession talks cannot start until, at least, the European Commission concludes Kyiv has satisfactorily carried out seven key reforms. The need for these reforms became clear last week when a corruption scandal over illicit payments erupted in Ukraine and triggered the resignation of several top officials. Police raided the offices of an oligarch and tax authorities a day prior the Commissioners arrived.
“We understand that within the European Union, there are differences when it comes to the speed of our accession. It’s something that we recognise and we’re in the midst of having these negotiations,” Alexander Rodnyansky, an economic adviser to President Zelenskyy, told Sasha.
“Whether it’s realistic that we will join in two years, I’m not going to be the judge of making that statement. But when we look at the history of the European Union, the negotiations process can take years.”
GO DEEPER How do you keep high-profile politicians safe in a conflict zone? Alessio Dellanna spoke with security experts to find out how Ursula von der Leyen and other leaders are able to travel back and forth to Kyiv in the midst of a raging war.
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