European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Cos stated that Ukraine will not become a member of the EU until 2027.
Politico reports Marta Kos's statement from the Competitive Europe Summit.
“Everyone in this room knows that Ukraine cannot become a member of the EU on January 1, 2027. First you need peace – that's important – then you have to carry out reforms. Investors will come, as you know in Ukraine, only if they can make money first and if their investments are safe,” said Marta Kos.
The European Commissioner emphasized that Ukraine is a key partner of the EU in innovation, defense and other strategic sectors that can help increase global competitiveness.
On January 30, President Zelenskyy named 2027 as a possible date for Ukraine's accession to the European Union, as the country will be technically ready by then, according to Ukrainian diplomats. This involves opening negotiation clusters to harmonize national legislation with EU legislation. However, according to the president, the EU should find an accelerated format for Ukraine's accession.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Cos responded by saying that many EU member states would like to see Ukraine join the bloc as early as 2027. She said that while the exact date for accession is currently unknown, work is underway to accelerate the country's European integration. At the same time, German Chancellor Merz called such dates “impossible” because meeting the accession requirements usually takes several years.
On December 19, 2025, it became known that Ukraine had completed all necessary procedures to open all six negotiation clusters for accession to the European Union.
Despite Kyiv's technical readiness and the government's approval of the negotiating positions, the actual opening of the clusters requires a unanimous decision by all 27 EU member states. It is the principle of consensus that is the main challenge for Ukraine at this stage.
Currently, the main obstacle is Hungary. The main source of blockage remains Budapest. Hungary systematically vetoes or delays the adoption of decisions related to Ukraine's European integration, putting forward a number of demands on the issue of national minorities. Budapest also, often together with other neighbors of Ukraine, expresses concerns about competition from the Ukrainian agricultural sector, demanding protective mechanisms for its farmers.