Ukraine expects to join NATO faster than EU

During a geopolitical dialogue at the European Policy Centre in Brussels, a politician expressed his expectation that Ukraine will become a NATO member faster than members of the European Union.

Kornienko noted that all waves of EU expansion took place after the European elections, with the next elections scheduled for 2029.

The MP stated that he believed the next opportunity for EU enlargement might open after the upcoming European Parliament elections.

The First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada added that the Ukrainian side would do everything on their part to be prepared for such developments.

He remarked that predicting the decision of member states was difficult at that point, noting that five years in politics is a very long time.

Kornienko also shared that during his visit to Brussels with the state delegation, he addressed the issue of continuing to screen Ukrainian legislation for compliance with EU legal standards.

The MP said this was the most essential and practical condition for any country's EU membership.

He added that Ukraine clearly understands that the enlargement process is based on the achievements of each candidate country and is ready to work diligently to navigate the path of European integration and achieve full EU membership.

As a reminder, in June, then-Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that Ukraine set a record for the speed from application to the start of EU membership negotiations.

Recently, in October, former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine could be accepted into NATO despite the presence of occupied territories.

Additionally, on October 7, The Washington Post reported that NATO countries would propose specific steps for Ukraine's accession to the Alliance during a Ramstein meeting.

Before that, it became known that at the Ramstein meeting on October 12, US President Joe Biden could elevate the status of Ukraine's NATO membership application.