Specific date for Ukraine's EU membership possible - German Defense Minister
Photo: German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (Getty Images)
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said before the start of a NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels that agreeing on a specific date for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union is entirely possible, but it will require negotiations and separate preparatory work.
Pistorius was responding to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s statement that Ukraine needs a clear date for joining the EU, as membership is part of the country’s future security architecture.
The German minister said he believes it is realistic to agree on such a date.
“A specific date is always possible,” he noted.
At the same time, Pistorius emphasized that determining such a date requires additional work.
“What should it be? That has to be negotiated. It’s not something that can be decided in the heat of the moment,” he added.
Ukraine’s EU accession
The EU is preparing several options to incorporate Ukraine’s membership into a future peace agreement. One possibility is a gradual accession process that could include preliminary safeguards for Kyiv.
Ukrainian officials have said that a 2027 accession date is mentioned in a US peace plan, though the provision is reportedly under review due to objections from some EU member states.
Recently, Politico outlined a five-step EU plan that could grant Ukraine partial membership before completing all reforms and gaining full accession.
The plan would not ease reform requirements but is intended as a political signal of support for Ukraine and other candidate countries whose progress has been slowed by war or internal EU disputes.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán remains the main obstacle, opposing Ukraine’s EU membership. EU members are considering various ways to overcome the blockage, from waiting for Hungary’s election results to applying political pressure mechanisms within the bloc.
Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy has said Ukraine will do everything possible to prepare for EU accession by 2027 and reiterated his call for a specific date.
