Commenting on remarks by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz about Ukraine having no chance of joining the EU by Jan. 1, 2027, Kachka drew attention to the transformation of the European Union itself.
“Since 1997, the European Union has become an association in which the shared value of the rule of law has taken root. Article 2 of the Lisbon Treaty states that it is a fundamental value of the European Union. In 2018, disputes began with Poland and Hungary, there were rulings by the European Court of Human Rights, and since then the EU has become more of a value-based union than an economic alliance,” he said.
According to him, this requires greater attention from the “old member states” to the observance of the rule of law within the EU, as well as new conditions for candidate countries.
“They tell Ukraine, Montenegro and Albania: carry out all these reforms, and then you need to stand aside for 20 years so that we can be sure the reforms have taken root. That is why Merz says Jan. 1, 2027, is an impossible date. But we have the experience of Romania and Bulgaria, which joined with additional elements of oversight and safeguard mechanisms. And we say that for us this is a time machine. We are ready to join [the EU] and remain under additional oversight for 20 years so that you can live calmly,” the deputy prime minister said.
He added that there are no special rule-of-law requirements specifically for Ukraine, as these are the same standards the EU demands from its own member states.
German Chancellor Merz said on Jan. 28 that any country wishing to join the EU must first meet the Copenhagen criteria, and that the process usually takes several years. He stressed that Ukraine needs a perspective that will pave the way for membership in the long term, adding that accession on Jan. 1 next year is unrealistic.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine expects to join the European Union in 2027.