European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said in an exclusive commentary for Radio Liberty on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference that Ukraine’s membership in the European Union is traditionally seen as an element of security guarantees and can be discussed in the context of future peace agreements.
Commenting on discussions about pressure on Kiev in the negotiations, Kos emphasised that Ukraine has been subjected to pressure from different sides over the years, but has “demonstrated the ability to resist it”.
“With the support of the EU, this will continue to be the case. We will stand by Ukraine’s side for as long as it takes and for as long as it takes for its accession to the EU,” she said.
The European Commissioner emphasised that the idea of including Ukraine’s European integration in the parameters of a future peace settlement was in line with previous practice.
“EU membership has always been part of security guarantees for other countries in the past as well. The accession process benefits not only new members, but also member states,” Kos said.
At the same time, she noted that the accession process is “very demanding” and involves the fulfilment of methodology and extensive reforms. When asked about the possibility of Ukraine’s accession in 2027, Kos said that “it depends on the progress within the current procedures.”
“There is a technical process that I am leading and there is momentum among member states. Each step requires their approval,” the European Commissioner said.
Kos added that the final timeline for accession will be determined by the fulfilment of reforms and the consensus of EU countries.
One of the provisions of the 20-point peace agreement currently being negotiated between Ukraine and the USA and between the USA and Russia envisages Ukraine’s membership in the EU. According to some reports, this membership is allegedly foreseen for 2027.
However, the EU is sceptical about this date. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said at the end of January that she could not guarantee Ukraine’s accession to the EU by 2027, despite significant progress in the negotiation process. Also, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz believes that Ukraine’s accession to the EU in the near future is impossible.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke at a security conference in Munich on Saturday, 14 February. Zelensky is also scheduled to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US senators, the president of Azerbaijan and others.
This year’s Munich Security Conference (MSC) takes place on 13-15 February. It is attended by a number of European leaders, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his Ukrainian delegation.