At a press briefing, the Italian prime minister stated that the EU’s core member states are opposed to granting Ukraine candidate status. He remarked that almost all major EU countries disagree with Ukraine becoming a candidate, with Italy seemingly standing apart from the rest.
The remarks were a response to questions about whether Ukraine would secure candidate status following the June meeting of the Council of Europe. The prime minister also suggested the possibility of a fast-track path to EU membership for Kyiv, noting that the European Commission has indicated it would consider Ukraine’s membership under an accelerated process.
He added that there is currently no defined fast track, but it could be proposed and the Commission would prepare a report on the matter. Earlier reports indicated that Greece and Cyprus opposed accelerated accession for Ukraine, with sources noting that both countries are wary of Western Balkan states that have advanced toward EU membership but are not given a special status.
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin also commented that altering the accession procedure for Ukraine does not make sense, though she did not oppose Ukraine obtaining candidate status.
Kyiv officially submitted an application to join the EU on February 28. On April 8, the president of the European Commission sent a questionnaire to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to assess eligibility for candidate status. The questionnaire covers political and economic criteria as well as alignment of Ukrainian law with EU regulations.
Based on the responses, the European Commission might offer recommendations to the Council about Ukraine’s future status, including the possibility of granting candidate status and launching accession negotiations. The European Council is scheduled to meet on June 23–24.
In early May, the European Parliament adopted a resolution urging the EU to grant Ukraine candidate status. The vote tally showed support from 637 deputies, with 13 against and 26 abstentions; however, any such decision requires unanimous approval by all EU member states.
French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that Ukraine’s EU membership would take many years even if candidate status is granted. He proposed an alternative: the creation of a new European political community that would include non-EU countries such as Ukraine and the United Kingdom to engage with European values.
Macron suggested that joining this community would not automatically determine future EU membership and would remain open to those who are currently outside the bloc. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed support for the idea, calling it a thoughtful approach to addressing shared challenges.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated on May 10 that Ukraine seeks full membership, not a role as a proxy. He argued that Europe’s strategic ambiguity on this issue has previously encouraged Russia’s leadership and emphasized that Ukraine will not accept a second-class status or be treated as a lesser partner.