EU top diplomat calls for speedier membership talks to strengthen union

The European Union must move faster to admit new members, including Ukraine, Montenegro, and other candidate countries, the bloc’s top diplomat said, signaling a push for quicker integration amid geopolitical tensions with Russia, POLITICO reports.

“Enlargement must remain merit-based, but in the current context we need to step up the pace,” Kaja Kallas, EU foreign policy chief, told an annual gathering of EU diplomats in Brussels. “Enlargement is the antidote to Russian imperialism, and a sign that the most ambitious multilateral project in history, the European Union, is here to stay.”

Kallas’ remarks come amid a growing debate within the EU, with the European Commission advocating for rapid enlargement, while national capitals favor a more gradual approach. Last week, EU ambassadors attending a dinner with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s chief of staff, Bjoern Seibert, rejected proposals to admit new members with limited privileges.

Kallas framed enlargement not just as a bureaucratic process of meeting EU criteria, but as a strategic geopolitical choice. “Enlargement has been described as the union’s most successful foreign policy, extending the area of stability, peace and prosperity,” she said, citing Eurobarometer data showing broad public support for expanding the 27-member bloc. “But it is up to us to keep telling the enlargement story.”

A senior EU diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said efforts are underway to keep the enlargement process on track despite the differences between the Council and the Commission. Plans are being developed to make the next three EU Council presidencies focus on bringing in new member countries, aiming to conclude Ukraine’s negotiations by the end of 2027, even if the formal accession treaty may take longer.

Some EU leaders remain wary of public debates about Ukraine’s membership, concerned it could embolden far-right parties ahead of elections in France, Finland, and other countries next year. “You need to have a political narrative on Ukraine,” the senior diplomat said.

By Vafa Guliyeva