“No country has ever faced anything like this on its path to the European Union, and, excuse me, but Ukraine’s uniqueness in this case must be acknowledged. And again, by developing Ukraine’s economy, you will ultimately make a good investment for yourselves,” said Kyrylo Budanov.
Ukraine’s EU accession — latest developments
On May 11, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said all six negotiation clusters related to Ukraine’s accession to the European Union could be opened as early as this summer.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly stressed that Ukraine expects to join the EU by 2027. He has also rejected the idea of “symbolic” benefits for Ukraine, saying Kyiv deserves full membership in the bloc.
At the same time, several countries, including Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland and Hungary, have opposed any “shortcuts” to membership. They insist that candidate countries must meet strict criteria, particularly regarding the rule of law and anti-corruption measures.
On March 24, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said Ukraine would not be able to become an EU member by 2027.