Deputy PM: Ukraine will be ready for EU membership in 2 years

Ukraine will be ready for European Union membership in two years and for NATO membership even earlier, Olha Stefanishyna, the deputy prime minister for European integration, said in a Sept. 5 interview with the Voice of America.

Stefanishyna believes that Ukraine is able to make steps towards EU membership during wartime.

She also said she is sure that Ukraine will be able to negotiate effectively and fulfill all obligations before the EU and create suitable conditions for Ukraine's economic recovery.

Ukraine officially applied for EU membership in February 2022 and was granted candidate status in June last year. To start the membership negotiation process, Kyiv needs to implement seven reforms outlined by the European Commission.

The experience of most EU candidates shows that Ukraine may still need to go through a lengthy path to EU membership, on average 7 to 9 years.

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The Kyiv IndependentOleg Sukhov

Meanwhile, a bill passed by the Ukrainian parliament in the second reading on Sept. 5 may contradict Stefanishyna's statements.

The bill restored asset declarations for officials but failed to make them public.

Restoring asset declarations has been central to talks on Ukraine's accession to the European Union and borrowing money from the International Monetary Fund. Anti-corruption watchdogs and opposition MPs argue that the EU and IMF are unlikely to accept the bill in this form.

Transparency International Ukraine, an anti-corruption watchdog, said that the bill envisaged a "sham" restoration of declarations.

"Our foreign partners are unlikely to consider these actions by parliament as a real step towards European integration and effective cooperation with the IMF," the watchdog said.

Parliament restores asset declarations but fails to make them public

The Ukrainian parliament on Sept. 5 approved the second reading of a bill to restore asset declarations for officials but failed to make them public.

The Kyiv IndependentElsa Court