France and Germany oppose Ukraine's rapid accession to the EU

Some EU countries block Ukraine's rapid accession to the Union

France, Germany and a number of other EU countries have opposed the idea of Ukraine's accelerated accession to the EU. This is reported by the agency Reuters with reference to European diplomats.

According to sources, Kyiv's desire to complete membership negotiations and join the EU by 2027 has met with a restrained reaction among some of the bloc's countries. Some governments consider this timetable too ambitious.

Arguments of the EU countries

Among the main reasons for skepticism are fears about the possible rollback of reforms after Ukraine's accession to the EU, and corruption issues.

European diplomats note that some member states insist that Kyiv must fully comply with all requirements to reform the judiciary, fight corruption and strengthen state institutions before the integration process is significantly accelerated.

It is also noted that EU enlargement is a complex political process that requires unanimous support of all Member States.

Ukraine's position

Ukraine, for its part, is actively promoting the idea of faster integration into the EU. The Ukrainian government claims that the country is carrying out large-scale reforms even during a full-scale war and is counting on a political decision to speed up negotiations.

Kyiv also emphasises that joining the European Union is a strategic goal of the state, The constitutional framework is enshrined in the Constitution.

Context.

Ukraine was granted candidate status to join the European Union in 2022. In 2023, the EU officially agreed to start membership negotiations.

However, full accession to the European Union requires the fulfilment of dozens of conditions and approval by all member states, which traditionally takes years.