During a live telethon that covered developments across Ukraine, Katarina Maternova, the European Union Ambassador to Ukraine, offered her take on Ukraine’s pursuit of EU membership. She suggested that while reaching full membership by the end of the decade could seem attainable in theory, in practice the timeline faces significant hurdles. She emphasized that the decision hinges on Ukraine meeting all the EU’s accession criteria and on the union issuing clear regulatory steps to admit new members. The conversation underscored that substantial technical work remains and that institutional frameworks within the EU must be aligned before any new member can be welcomed.
In the course of the discussion, she noted two critical elements for progress: Ukraine must fulfill every condition set by the EU, and it requires concrete regulatory signals from Brussels that outline the path to membership. These points reflect the broader reality of EU enlargement, where technical readiness and formal approvals are both essential to advance any candidate country toward candidate status and eventual membership.
During the same broadcast, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock spoke about Ukraine’s future relationship with the EU, indicating that inclusion in the bloc is expected in the not-too-distant future. The remarks highlighted a shared Western stance that Ukraine should be considered within the larger European security and economic framework as geopolitical dynamics evolve.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has outlined a triad of Western achievements that he believes are necessary for Ukraine to secure stronger support. He identified three pivotal wins: securing funding from the United States Congress, obtaining approval for a new sanctions package against Russia, and advancing EU membership. Zelenskiy argued that all three milestones are essential and that Ukraine is positioned to realize them in the near term, provided broad international backing continues and the strategic coordination remains sharp.
The topic has also touched on past roadblocks, including political vetoes that have affected Ukraine’s path toward European integration. Earlier debates in Kiev highlighted how intergovernmental decisions and member-state positions can influence the timing and sequencing of enlargement, even as the trend toward greater European integration remains a central objective for Kyiv. Analysts note that such vetoes, while temporary in impact, illustrate the importance of consensus-building among EU member states when discussing enlargement and the long lead times often involved in aligning diverse national interests.