'We will not accept any ersatz membership' — Ukraine's FM rejects anything short of full EU membership amid reports of 'symbolic' benefits

Prefer on Google by Dmytro Basmat Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's foreign minister, at a news conference in Kyiv, Ukraine on April 1, 2025. (Andrew Kravchenko/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha dismissed on April 21 the prospects of Kyiv accepting partial membership in the European Union amid reports that several EU countries are considering offering Ukraine limited membership benefits in a pre-accession phase. The comments come following a report from the Financial Times (FT) on April 20 that France and Germany have separately proposed "symbolic" initial benefits for Kyiv with varying limitations on its membership. Documents seen by FT suggest that Berlin would push for "associate membership" for Kyiv, with no bloc voting rights and no automatic access to the shared EU budget. While Paris is reportedly advocating for a "integrated state status" for Ukraine with limitation to Kyiv's access to certain major EU financial programs. "(President Volodymyr Zelensky's) position is clear: no "ersatz membership" — we will not accept any of them. This is a firm position," Sybiha said at a closed-door meeting with journalists attended by the Kyiv Independent. "It seems to me that our partners understand this, they understand our position. And let's focus on the requirements we need to meet on our way to EU membership, adhering to the criteria," the minister added. Ukraine has made EU membership a key element of its long-term security strategy and has raised the issue in discussions about a potential peace settlement . In late February, Zelensky urged partners to set a specific date for Ukraine's EU accession, warning that Russia would otherwise hinder the process. The Ukrainian president set 2027 as the target date for Ukraine's entry into the bloc. The timeline has drawn mixed reactions among EU member states, including both supporters and skeptics of Ukraine's path toward membership. In recent weeks, criticism has emerged that Ukrainian authorities are dragging their feet on the rule-of-law and economic reforms needed for European integration. Despite the assessment, Ukraine's rate of implementing reforms stands at 87%, second only to Moldova 's 93% and far ahead of last-place Serbia, at only 30%, according to Marta Kos, the European Union's commissioner for enlargement. Sybiha told reporters that Kyiv was "moving very quickly, and we are fulfilling these requirements so that a decision about our membership can be made." "There are clear markers, and we are meeting them," he said. "We still need to go through this path. It's inevitable." The next big step for Ukraine's European integration will be the start of the main stage of EU accession talks, which may take place within weeks. Kyiv was granted candidate status in 2022, and the EU formally opened accession talks with Ukraine in 2024. Preparatory work on the talks has been underway since then. However, the main stage of negotiations on specific accession clusters has yet to begin, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban previously blocked the process. Orban lost the April 12 parliamentary election, which could help unblock Ukraine's accession talks.