Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has named 2027 as a possible date for Ukraine's accession to the European Union, stating the country will be technically ready by then, according to Ukrainian diplomats' assessments.
Speaking to journalists, Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine will complete all negotiation clusters for aligning national legislation with EU law by the end of 2026.
"Compared to all other countries—our neighbors and Balkan friends—those who claim, and rightly so, that they will be in the European Union—they are not at war and do not have a hostile force on their borders and on Europe's borders that will block their accession to the European Union in the future. Russia will block our accession to the EU in the future, in peacetime—this is an obvious thing, they have already done this," Zelenskyy said.
The president explained Ukraine's urgent need for an accelerated path: "Russia does not want us to be a European country. It is interested in the Ukrainian market. It is interested in Ukrainian potential. Our people. It is interested in Ukraine being neither in NATO nor in the EU. That is why we prioritize this now to secure the future."
Zelenskyy noted that "various reforms" and "various dialogues on quotas, trade" are currently underway, describing the process as "long."
On 27 January, Zelenskyy announced Ukraine's hopes for EU membership by 2027. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos responded that many EU member states would like to see Ukraine in the bloc by 2027. While exact accession timelines remain unknown, work on accelerating the country's European integration continues actively, she said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, however, called such timelines "impossible," noting that meeting accession requirements typically takes several years.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told journalists that Hungary will continue blocking Ukraine's EU membership "for another 100 years" and will not allow funds for Ukraine from the EU budget. Hungary has blocked the opening of negotiation clusters on Ukraine's EU accession since 2025.
Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Taras Kachka previously told Suspilne that Ukraine can meet all EU requirements by 2027 and will seek common ground with the Hungarian government.
This month, Reuters reported that the European Commission is preparing a simplified procedure plan for Ukraine's accession to the European Union. Under a simplified procedure, Kyiv would lose some rights that full bloc members have.
