Several European diplomats have warned that Ukraine’s accelerated accession to the European Union could be a “trap” set by Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. The statements were made for the Financial Times, which mentions that the European Commission is working on a simplified accession plan for Ukraine to the EU after the war, which has raised concerns in some European capitals.
The peace agreement project envisages Ukraine’s accession to the EU as early as 2027, but European officials believe the country will need a decade of reforms to meet the strict criteria of the bloc. Brussels proposes accepting Ukraine with limited decision-making rights. According to the plan, Kiev will initially not have the usual voting rights at leaders’ summits and EU ministers’ meetings. Ukraine will gradually gain access to certain segments of the single market, agricultural subsidies, and internal development funding, but only after reaching certain post-accession stages.
On the other hand, other European officials fear that changing the rules could negatively affect the stability of the EU, diminish the value of membership, and provoke dissatisfaction among other candidate states.
“This is a trap set by Putin and Trump, and we are falling into it,” said an EU diplomat, referring to the risk to the unity of the bloc.
“Try to impose this on member states and they will never accept,” added another high-ranking official, warning that the situation could cause a destructive split between Brussels and the member states.
At the same time, officials of the European Commission believe that Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski will be able to accept other aspects of a possible peace agreement, such as ceding territory to Russia, only if accelerated accession to the EU can be presented as a result of the agreement. The decision on Ukraine’s accession remains, therefore, a sensitive point, with implications for the unity and future of the European Union, in the context of peace negotiations and Kiev’s internal reforms.