European Commissioner Kos: Ukraine’s accession to the EU in 2027 is impossible

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos has said that Ukraine will not be able to join the European Union in 2027, as demanded by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

She made the statement in an interview with the Italian publication Corriere della Sera.

“The date of January 1, 2027 was set by President Zelensky. Accession is based on the merit principle: it is clear that this date is impossible. There are no privileges or shortcuts in the accession process. But we must take into account that Ukraine is fighting a war for survival, so helping it is our duty,” Kos said.

The European Commissioner expressed hope that as many negotiating clusters as possible would be opened before the end of the year. She also stressed that the gradual integration of Ukraine into the EU does not replace full membership and that there will be “no shortcuts” for candidate countries.

Kos is one of the advocates for Ukraine adopting a package of laws that would remove law enforcement agencies from Zelensky’s control. A key issue in relations between the EU and Kyiv remains whether Europe will issue an ultimatum demanding the adoption of these laws, including by applying pressure through the withholding of additional funding.

It emerged the day before that the European Commission had refused to allocate an additional EUR 27 billion to Ukraine’s military budget, as requested by Kyiv.