German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Jan. 28 that Ukraine joining the EU next year is not a feasible goal, stressing that the accession is a lengthy process.
“Accession on January 1, 2027, is out of the question. It’s not possible,” Merz said in Berlin, according to DPA news agency.
The comments come after President Volodymyr Zelensky set 2027 as the target date for Ukraine’s entry into the bloc.
The German chancellor tempered expectations, stressing that any prospective member must first meet the Copenhagen criteria — a set of political, economic, and legislative conditions — in a process that usually takes years.
“We can slowly bring Ukraine closer to the European Union along the way,” the chancellor said.
Ukraine, granted EU candidate status in 2022 and having completed the legislative screening process last year, has advocated for a fast-track accession amid ongoing peace talks with Moscow, arguing that EU membership is essential for post-war recovery and security.
While Brussels lauded the progress of Kyiv’s reforms, the opening of the accession clusters remains blocked by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, widely regarded as the most Kremlin-friendly EU leader.
Orban earlier claimed that a confidential document discussed within the EU as part of peace talks envisions Ukraine joining the EU next year under a fast-tracked process.
Opinion on Ukraine’s accession remains divided across the EU, with the European Commission reportedly pushing a two-tier accession plan that would allow Ukraine to join faster, while temporarily curtailing some of its membership rights.
In the Netherlands, the liberal D66 party — which is expected to lead the next Dutch government after coming first in the last elections — submitted a motion in parliament calling for rapid accession for Ukraine.
The motion, which will be put to a vote on Feb. 3, is expected to pass with a majority, a party representative told the Kyiv Independent.
Marta Kos, the EU’s enlargement commissioner, said that many member states back fast-tracking Ukraine’s entry, but stressed that this cannot happen without completion of necessary reforms.
