Ukraine's EU membership by 2027 'impossible,' says enlargement commissioner

EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said Tuesday that Ukraine will not become an EU member by early 2027.

"I think everybody in this room knows that it is impossible that Ukraine will become a member of the EU on Jan. 1, 2027," she said at an event hosted by Politico.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has promoted an accelerated timeline, but Kos stressed that the EU membership process cannot realistically be tied to fixed deadlines.

"I can also understand why President Zelenskyy was saying this date. He knows that in the near future Ukraine will not be able to become a member of NATO, so he is looking for security guarantees," she said.

She added that enlargement processes have historically been successful when following a clear sequence.

"First you need peace -- this is important -- then you have to do the reforms," she said. "Investors will only come, also you know in Ukraine, if they will be first able to earn the money and if their investments will be safe."

However, Kos said the EU's current enlargement methodology was designed for "peacetime conditions," where candidate countries have sufficient time to implement reforms, suggesting adjustments may be needed to reflect current geopolitical realities.

The European Commission has presented three options to member states to reform the enlargement process, she added, emphasizing that any progress depends on their approval.

"Without the decision of the member states, we cannot move on," she said.

While maintaining the status quo is not seen as viable, she also ruled out more radical changes, pointing instead to "enhanced gradual integration" as the most likely path forward.

This approach would allow candidate countries to progressively integrate into specific EU policies and gain certain benefits before achieving full membership, she said.

On Iceland, Kos said the country's path to EU membership could "really go quick" if it decides to resume accession talks, given its existing integration through the European Economic Area and Schengen.

A referendum expected later this year will determine whether negotiations restart, she added.