Ukraine's accession to the European Union by 2027 is an unrealistic goal due to the pace of reforms and the number of procedures that still need to be completed.
Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU, said this in an interview with Ukrinform.
"The pace at which we are currently moving, the scope of tasks ahead of us, and the number of procedures we must go through are all very substantial. Even if a decision on Ukraine's EU accession were made today, it would still require ratification by the parliaments of all EU member states. That alone makes it physically impossible to complete by 2027," Klympush-Tsintsadze said.
She also criticized the idea of fixing a specific EU accession date in a potential peace agreement.
"I cannot understand who was guided by what considerations when, during negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States – without the involvement of the European Union – they decided to include in the draft peace agreement a provision that concerns neither the U.S. nor Russia, but only Ukraine and the European Union," she said.
In her opinion, this approach is flawed and unfair to Ukraine's European partners.
"Demanding a specific date belongs to the realm of fantasy," Klympush-Tsintsadze added.
She noted that EU enlargement procedures were designed for peacetime and not for the current global challenges facing Ukraine and Europe. However, even if reforms to these procedures were introduced, 2027 would still remain an unrealistic timeline.
"Putting forward such demands is unfair to both our European partners and Ukrainian citizens," she said.
As reported, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said it is important for Ukraine to include a concrete EU accession date in a future peace agreement to secure clear guarantees and avoid potential obstruction. According to him, Ukraine could be technically ready for EU membership by 2027.
