Taras Kachka: Ukraine Could Join the EU by 2027

During a recent press conference, Taras Kachka, the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, articulated his belief that Ukraine could potentially gain membership in the European Union by 2027. This announcement was made on April 8, as Kachka discussed the ongoing negotiations and the political climate surrounding Ukraine's EU aspirations.

Kachka emphasized that the current political process within the EU is not waiting for the formal opening of negotiation clusters, which had previously been stalled by Hungary. Instead, he noted that European partners are looking for tangible progress from Ukraine in meeting specific benchmarks. 'This is essentially the decisive element for how quickly we can join the European Union,' Kachka stated, highlighting the importance of Ukraine's compliance with EU standards.

Despite the absence of a clear model for Ukraine's accession, Kachka reassured that active discussions are ongoing. 'This is not a problem. On the contrary, it is a tremendous success. The active dialogue is taking place, and member states are responding very positively to it,' he added, reflecting on the encouraging atmosphere surrounding Ukraine's EU membership discussions.

He pointed out that countries within the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) group, which includes five Nordic nations—Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden—and three Baltic states—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—are particularly supportive of Ukraine's EU ambitions. Additionally, Kachka mentioned the productive discussions that took place during a Ukrainian-Dutch conference in Germany, where EU accession was also a focal point.

'In fact, there is very positive thinking around this issue. I believe that by May, they will have a clearer picture. They are also aiming for 2027 regarding the resolution of Ukraine's EU membership question. There are many speculative discussions about how this might unfold, but what is certain is that no one has dismissed the idea of having some model for accession by 2027. The question now is what that model will look like,' Kachka elaborated.

The Deputy Prime Minister also acknowledged that currently, not all benchmarks have been met for discussing the terms of EU membership. However, he stressed the necessity for a response from the EU regarding Ukraine's accession. 'When will this happen? From what we see, May is the month when certain approaches will be conceptualized, and the EU Council is actively working on this. Therefore, I think that in the first half of the year, we will have clarity on what, when, and how,' he noted.

On March 17, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced that the Ukrainian delegation in Brussels received conditions for membership from the EU concerning the final three negotiation clusters. According to Svyrydenko, the next steps involve successfully closing these clusters and signing the accession treaty, which would mark the final step toward Ukraine's full membership in the EU.

On March 19, 25 EU leaders, excluding Hungary and Slovakia, issued a statement calling for the immediate opening of negotiation clusters regarding Ukraine's EU membership. Previously, President Volodymyr Zelensky had also expressed hopes for Ukraine's accession to the European Union by 2027.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz remarked that any country wishing to join the EU must first meet the Copenhagen criteria, a process that typically takes several years. He underscored the necessity for Ukraine to have a clear perspective that paves the way for long-term membership. According to Merz, the prospect of Ukraine joining the EU by January 1 of the following year is unrealistic.