Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations should begin in 2025, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed on Wednesday. He argued that such a move would improve Kyiv’s negotiating position vis-à-vis Moscow while opening the door to further investments in the country’s defense industry.
Kyiv has repeatedly expressed its desire to join the EU. However, Ukraine’s “immediate” accession has been consistently opposed by several member states. Hungary has expressed concern about corruption, treatment of ethnic minorities and economic competition, especially in agriculture.
Other EU countries, including Slovakia, France and Germany, have also expressed reservations, stressing that Kyiv must meet existing reform requirements before negotiations can continue.
Speaking at a Europe Day event on 7 May, von der Leyen said that the EU’s current task is to “help Ukraine stay strong, to defy Putin’s intimidation”.
“Today, I would like to focus on three priorities in our action. First, let’s support the defense of Ukraine. Second, let’s stop phasing out Russian fossil fuels. Third, accelerate Ukraine’s accession path to the EU.”
He added that Brussels is “working hard with Ukraine to open the first groups of accession negotiations and to open all groups in 2025”.
While Russia has consistently rejected the idea of Ukraine’s accession to NATO, its position on EU accession has been more restrained. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the country has a “sovereign right” to join the EU, provided it remains about economic integration and not military accession.
At the same time, Russian officials are increasingly warning that the EU is losing its purely civilian character. Peskov accused the EU of actively working to prolong the conflict in Ukraine, as he had repeatedly expressed his intention to continue to support Kyiv in “continuing the war”.
He also criticized Brussels for undermining peace efforts by consistently portraying Russia as the EU’s primary adversary.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also previously stated that the EU is “militarizing at record speed” and claimed that there is now “very little difference” between the EU and NATO.
Translated and edited by L. Earth