Some European nations want to delay Ukraine's EU accession by decades

"Countries like Germany say: This is a super important issue for us, we need trust," Kachka said.

"So you will implement reforms, and we need a hypothetical 20 years for you to 'settle,' so we can make sure everything works," he added.

"It is not because we don't want to accept you, we just need trust."

Balkan countries took so long to join the EU because of a "military methodology" where simply implementing reforms was not enough — they also had to prove that these changes could not be reversed, he said. At the same time, he added that Ukraine does not have 20 years to wait for everything to "settle."

"Maybe I am exaggerating about 20 years, let's say 10 years, but for us, that is an eternity," he said.

Kachka earlier said that Ukraine faces no special requirements for joining the EU, only those mandatory for all members. At the same time, the European Union has long been more than just an economic alliance, but a union based on shared values.

German Chancellor Merz noted on Jan. 28 that any country wishing to join the EU must first meet the Copenhagen criteria, and this process usually takes several years. He highlighted that Ukraine needs a perspective that will pave the way for accession in the long term, adding that joining on Jan. 1 of next year is unrealistic.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine expects to join the European Union in 2027.