Von der Leyen responds to Nausėda's idea on Ukraine's EU accession date: It could be earlier

Von der Leyen expressed appreciation for the initiative's newness and significant political will. She emphasized that simply setting a specific date could lead other candidate countries to make similar requests, but she still thanked those involved for their political will.

At the same time, she noted that the process is based on Ukraine’s achievements.

The European Commission president stressed that if Ukraine continued to progress at the same pace, it could join the EU even earlier than 2030.

Meanwhile, European Council President António Costa stated that Ukraine's accession to the EU would serve as an important guarantee of its future security. He noted that a decision had already been made to make this institutional cycle one of enlargement, including Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkans, while the situation with Georgia remained uncertain. Costa emphasized that the process was based on achievements and highlighted Ukraine’s extraordinary progress. He pointed out that Ukraine was setting a new example of how to implement reforms during wartime, something difficult to imagine, and assured that the EU remained fully engaged in the process.

Nausėda’s proposal on Ukraine’s EU accession

Today, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda stated that Ukraine’s accession to the European Union should be accelerated. In his view, Ukraine should become a full-fledged member within five years — by 2030.

"The security of Europe depends on the security of Ukraine. That is why let us speed up Ukraine's accession to the EU. I propose a date of January 1, 2030," he said during the plenary session of Support Ukraine with European leaders in Kyiv.

According to him, the first cluster of negotiations could be opened within a few weeks.