“Ministers discussed Ukraine’s accession. Ukraine has achieved significant progress in reforms under the most difficult circumstances. There is now new momentum, and we must use it to advance Ukraine’s path toward the EU. That means opening all negotiation clusters by summer,” Kallas said.
She stressed that “Ukraine’s accession to the EU is not charity, but an investment in our security,” and also a clear signal to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin that “Ukraine’s European future matters more to us than its destruction matters to Russia.”
Kallas was later asked whether she meant the Ukrainian or European understanding of summer.
“Regarding summer, we actually had the same discussion this morning [with EU foreign ministers]. Someone said something had to happen ‘before summer,’ and I said: that’s only two weeks away! But obviously, European summer can start in August. So we’ll see,” the EU’s top diplomat replied.
Meanwhile, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos urged member states to officially open all negotiation clusters for Ukraine and Moldova before summer.
“The first cluster could be opened during Cyprus’s presidency, and regarding the remaining five clusters, we hope we can do this in July,” she said.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on May 4 that Ukraine expects the negotiation clusters on EU membership to begin opening during May and June.
“We expect all six negotiation clusters to open during this and next month. Technically, Ukraine is fully prepared,” Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian president has repeatedly said Kyiv hopes to join the European Union in 2027. He has also rejected the idea of “symbolic” privileges for Ukraine, insisting the country deserves full EU membership.
At the same time, several EU states — including Germany, France, Netherlands, Italy, Poland, and Hungary — have opposed any “shortcuts” for Ukraine’s accession process.
Those countries argue that candidate states must fully meet strict EU criteria, particularly regarding the rule of law and anti-corruption reforms.
On March 24, Marta Kos said Ukraine would not be able to become an EU member by 2027.