Iceland, Norway bids won’t impact Ukraine’s EU accession – European Commission

“We, as the European Commission, have made our commitments very clear to all countries at different stages of accession or, in the case of Iceland, regarding its aspiration to resume the accession process, and we have nothing further to add at this time. I can say with certainty that these two issues are not linked, and we categorically reject any such suggestion,” Hill said.

Politico, citing EU sources, reported that for current EU members, admitting wealthier countries is “much more attractive” than the accession of a group of Eastern countries. All 13 states that have joined the EU since 2004 still receive more funds than they contribute to the central budget.

This likely also applies to countries on the official waiting list, including Ukraine, Moldova, Albania, Serbia and Montenegro, as EU contributions generally depend on the size of a country’s economy.

At the same time, the outlet writes, wealthier countries with established democratic institutions, such as Iceland and Norway, would not face such obstacles.

Earlier, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said that Ukraine would not be able to become an EU member in 2027.

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