Italy opposes fast-tracking Ukraine’s accession to the European Union

Another major European Union country has not supported fast-tracking Ukraine’s accession to the bloc—this time, Italyhas spoken out against it.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani made the statement in an interview with Corriere della Sera.

According to him, Kyiv should not be admitted to the EU before the Balkan countries join the bloc.

“We support Ukraine’s accession, but first there are the Balkans, with whom we have commitments and who are a priority for us. On March 3 in Rome we will host a meeting of the ‘Friends of the Balkans.’ On April 1 we will be in Belgradewith the German minister Johann Wadephul to demonstrate attention to Serbia,” the minister said.

At the same time, he assured that Italy would help Ukraine join the EU, “which must go through a certain path.”

Earlier, the chancellors of Germany and Austria—Friedrich Merz and Christian Stocker—also opposed accelerated acceptance of Ukraine.

This came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sharply criticized Europe at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The Ukrainian president, for his part, called on the EU to grant Kyiv membership as early as next year—something that, according to a number of media outlets, is one of the points in the plan of U.S. President Donald Trump for Ukraine.