EU accession process 'designed for peace,' needs 'solution' to bring Ukraine into bloc sooner, official says
The European Union's current accession processes and timelines do not reflect the geopolitical challenges faced by both Ukraine and the EU, Marta Kos, the European Commissioner for Enlargement, said on Feb. 14.
The official's comments address the possibility of Ukraine joining the bloc by 2027, a goal announced recently by President Volodymyr Zelensky. Reports then emerged that the EU is exploring a partial membership plan for Ukraine that would allow the country to join before completing all the necessary reforms required as part of the so-called accession process.
Previously, Kos made it clear that there would be no shortcut to Ukraine's EU membership: "(F)ull membership comes only after full reforms," she said on Feb. 13.
But speaking at a "Ukrainian Lunch" event organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation at the Munich Security Conference, Kos acknowledged that the bloc's current process doesn't take into account the realities of war.
"The methodology we are using now is designed for peace," Kos said on Feb. 14, as reported by Ukrainian outlet European Pravda.
"It is designed for times when there is plenty of time for a country to carry out all the necessary reforms. Sweden, for example, was the most developed country to apply for EU membership — but even Sweden took three years."
Kos said it was "not possible" for Ukraine to join the EU by 2027 under current structures, but called for a "solution" that would address the security crisis.
"So, based on the current methodology, accession on January 1, 2027 is not possible," Kos said.
"But we have to find a solution to bridge the gap between the current methodology and the geopolitical challenges. We cannot wait any longer."
Kos also said that Ukraine has already "made a positive contribution to the development of Europe." In particular, Ukraine has helped the bloc to remember "how important security is in Europe."
"Perhaps we have forgotten about this," she added.
Zelensky has said that Ukraine's EU membership is an essential security guarantee for Kyiv as it looks to negotiate an end to Russia's full-scale war, now nearing its fifth year. He also said he would not sign any peace agreement with the U.S., Russia, and Europe if it did not include a specific date for Ukraine's EU accession.
Ukraine applied to join the EU in February 2022, mere days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Kyiv was granted candidate status in 2022, and the EU formally opened accession talks with Ukraine in 2024. However, de facto negotiations on specific accession clusters have not yet begun, and Hungary has used its veto power to block the process.
