'It's going to be a controversial discussion': EU ambassador comments on Ukraine's membership prospects
Photo: EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová (Getty Images)
A highly controversial discussion is currently underway on how to adapt Ukraine’s accession process to the European Union, said European Union Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová, speaking to journalists on February 27.
"It's going to be a difficult discussion with the member states. It's not going to be easy, but I very much hope that we'll get through," she said regarding the discussion of Ukraine's accession.
According to Mathernová, it will be necessary to develop a methodology that properly reflects the needs of both Ukraine and other candidate countries.
"We'll have a methodology that better reflects the needs of Ukraine, and other accession countries now, whether it's Albania or Morocco," the Ambassador emphasized.
Ukraine’s EU membership by 2027: what is known
The Office of the President said that Kyiv expects a political decision from the European Union on Ukraine’s membership in the bloc by 2027. However, the EU is not ready for such steps.
For example, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said that accelerating Ukraine’s accession would require changing rules that have been in place for about 40 years, which would need unanimous support from all 27 EU member states.
Meanwhile, according to media reports, early drafts of a 20-point peace plan discussed with US mediation included 2027 as the date for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. However, how this would work in practice remains unclear, as the EU strongly opposes such a rapid accession.
