In Europe, they are discussing Trump’s proposal for Ukraine to join the EU on an accelerated track in exchange for conceding Donbas — media reports

In Europe, officials are discussing a proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump under which Ukraine would cede territory in the Donbas in exchange for accelerated accession to the EU.

This is reported by the German outlet Die Welt.

“In exchange for Russia’s large-scale seizure of the resource-rich Donbas region, Kyiv is supposed to receive EU membership and security guarantees. In any case, Trump is now putting strong pressure on Kyiv. He wants a decision, if possible, by July 4—the 250th anniversary of the United States. Then he can present himself as a peacemaker and gain momentum ahead of the congressional elections in the fall,” Die Welt writes.

The outlet suggests that giving up territory in return for EU membership and security guarantees is essentially Trump’s formula for ending the war in Ukraine. Die Welt asks whether Europeans will be able to agree to this.

Diplomats in Brussels told the outlet that Zelenskyy “needs a real trump card if he wants to push territorial concessions to Russia through among the Ukrainian population.” In this regard, the EU may be ready to agree to Ukraine’s rapid entry.

Europe will also “have to accept fast-track EU membership for Ukraine if it does not want to jeopardize a possible peace agreement.”

At the same time, European diplomats are skeptical about the year 2027, which is reportedly included in Trump’s plan.

“Diplomats in Brussels do not expect Ukraine to actually join the EU as early as next year. But at least within a few years—no later than 2028, 2029, or 2030,” the outlet writes.

Discussing the mechanism for bringing Ukraine in, Die Welt describes a model of so-called “membership in installments.” The idea is that Ukraine and Moldova would formally become EU members, but for years would not participate in the single market or the EU’s agricultural policy.

A key point for Kyiv, however, is the immediate extension to Ukraine of Article 42(7) of the Treaty on European Union—the mutual assistance clause. Yet, the newspaper notes, even if that article applies, EU countries are not automatically obliged to send their troops to Ukraine. The format and scale of assistance would remain at the discretion of individual EU states.

The outlet adds that European militaries had previously feared that Ukraine’s entry too early could draw the EU into a war with Russia.

The EU has already said that member states are not yet ready to name a date for Ukraine’s accession.