Ukrainian PM: Ukraine will join EU immediately after war
Photo: Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine (Getty Images)
Ukraine is striving to make progress in accession negotiations with the European Union this year, hoping to join the bloc immediately after the war ends, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated during the conference "Ukraine's Accession to the EU: The Choice is Made, It’s a Matter of Time."
According to Shmyhal, Ukraine and the EU have completed bilateral screening on three negotiation clusters: "Fundamentals," "Internal Market," and "External Relations." Ukraine expects these clusters to be opened in the first half of 2025.
"In 2025, our goal is to open all six negotiation clusters on accession simultaneously. We are actively working toward achieving this goal. I am confident that there are no real obstacles to reaching this objective — only political will and a shared commitment to hard work are required," the Prime Minister emphasized.
He reminded that Ukraine has proven its ability to move "at an unprecedented speed" and achieve results not in years, but in months.
"I firmly believe that Ukraine will become an EU member immediately after the full-scale war ends," Shmyhal stated.
Ukraine's EU accession
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has made significant progress toward EU membership. Last year, the leaders of EU countries approved the start of accession negotiations with Ukraine.
However, the negotiations have yet to officially begin. According to Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, Hungary is blocking the start of the talks.
In early March, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that he wants to hold a referendum in his country regarding Ukraine’s accession to the EU to gauge the opinion of Hungarian citizens.
