The majority of EU member states are reluctant to debate Ukraine's accelerated accession to the European Union, with France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy among those arguing that the bloc's merit-based process must be respected, Politico reports, citing nine EU diplomats and officials speaking on condition of anonymity.
The clearest sign of that reluctance: a scheduled enlargement discussion at an EU summit in Nicosia, Cyprus, later this month is now unlikely to feature on the agenda at all, according to a senior EU official involved in the preparations.
Ukraine was granted EU candidate status in June 2022, shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion, and formal accession negotiations opened in 2024. The process requires Ukraine to meet extensive political and economic reform criteria across multiple policy chapters. Full membership remains years away, with most EU member states insisting on a merit-based timeline despite Kyiv's push for faster integration as a wartime security guarantee.
"No appetite for this debate"
The core concern is political exposure. Three diplomats and one senior EU official told Politico that governments fear domestic blowback if EU membership debates become a national issue. The specter of the "Polish plumber" controversy — in which cheap Eastern European labor was weaponized as a political argument ahead of Poland's 2004 accession — looms large.
"The same semi-populist, semi-xenophobic arguments we heard about the Poles, we are likely to hear with the Ukrainians and any other candidate," one diplomat from a mid-size EU country told Politico. "Who are these people? What are they going to be doing in our club? Will they be coming to take our jobs?"
The concern is particularly acute in France, which by law must hold a referendum on any new EU member. A vote on Ukraine's accession could provide material for National Rally leader Jordan Bardella, who polls show winning the first round of the 2027 presidential election against center-right rival Edouard Philippe, Politico notes.
France's minister delegate for European affairs, Benjamin Haddad, told Politico: "Enlargement must remain demanding and merit-based to ensure its success and credibility."
Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy share a similar position, arguing that no geopolitical exception should be made to the accession process — even as they acknowledge the pressure Ukraine and Moldova face to join quickly. "Of course we do not want to weaken [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy … but the very large majority of member states have no appetite for this debate right now," a senior diplomat from a large European country told Politico.
The Hungary factor — and what comes after Orbán
The EU's experience with Hungary since its 2004 accession is a recurring reference point in enlargement discussions. Budapest's restrictions on democratic norms, its ties to Russia under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and its repeated vetoes on EU support for Ukraine have made member states wary of admitting new members who could act as "Trojan horse" capitals, Politico reports.
The European Commission has proposed "Hungary-proofing" the enlargement process — for instance, by denying veto powers to new members for several years after admission. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Monday, following Orbán's electoral defeat to Péter Magyar, that she favors ending the bloc's unanimity rule, which currently allows a single capital to block any accession.
Magyar, however, said during a press conference on Monday that he did not want to "fast-track" membership for Kyiv — signaling continuity with Orbán's position on that specific issue, Politico notes.
The stalemate extends even to Montenegro, which has completed nearly all the required steps for EU membership. EU countries are still withholding approval of a mandate to begin drafting an accession treaty. "It's still in negotiations," one EU diplomat told Politico. Three Montenegrin officials voiced frustration about the lack of progress, pointing to France as a likely obstacle; French officials pushed back, arguing Paris is not alone in its concerns.
Ukraine's strongest advocates in the EU — Sweden and Denmark — are now pushing for accession negotiations to conclude by the end of 2027, but this would require sign-off from large member states. "We're not there yet," a senior EU official told Politico.
"We don't need an EU-lite"
Against that backdrop, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy rejected the concept of partial membership outright at a joint press briefing with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on 14 April.
"Everyone in Europe knows our position: we don't need an 'EU-lite.' Same with 'NATO-lite,' frankly," Zelenskyy said. "Equally, I think, Europe and NATO countries need Ukraine as a strong partner, need our strong army. Nobody needs a Ukrainian 'army-lite' — what kind of defense would that be? So I think this interest is mutual."
The comments came in the context of reported EU discussions about a "reverse enlargement" model — an arrangement under which new countries would join the EU without full voting rights, gaining them only after the bloc reforms its veto mechanisms. The proposal is described as allowing countries to enter at the beginning of the accession process rather than at the end.
Merz, for his part, described the current path as a structured approximation process rather than a lesser form of membership. "We want to show Ukraine the path by which it can step by step come closer to EU membership. This is not second-order membership, it is simply a process of approximation," Merz said. "Regardless of all timelines, in the end Ukraine must be closely tied to the EU, and people in Ukraine must know: their future, if they want it, is Europe."
Ukraine regards EU membership as a security guarantee against renewed Russian aggression. A prospective peace deal with Russia could, in some scenarios, include EU accession as early as 2027 as an incentive for Ukrainian voters, Politico notes — but EU ambassadors pushed back strongly against any sped-up accession timeline during a dinner in early March.
A recent poll found that 83% of Ukrainians support joining the EU, with 10.9% opposed and 6% undecided. Another survey in late 2025 showed support at 59%, still making EU membership the top integration choice nationwide. After the start of the full-scale war, support for European integration increased significantly, in particular due to Ukraine obtaining EU candidate status. In 2013, support for EU accession reached 43%.
