FT: Zelenskyy could accept territorial concessions in return for EU membership

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could agree to cede territory to Russia as part of a future peace settlement only if he can present European Union membership as the strategic gain for Ukraine, according to officials familiar with ongoing discussions in Brussels.

European Commission officials are drafting proposals to overhaul the EU’s accession system in a move that could allow Ukraine to join the bloc under a fast-tracked, two-tier model with limited initial rights. The plan, still at a preliminary stage, is intended to make EU membership politically deliverable for Kyiv in the context of negotiations to end Russia’s invasion, officials told The Financial Times.

Ukraine, which became an official EU candidate country shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, views membership as a cornerstone of its postwar future and a definitive confirmation of its pro-Western orientation. However, EU officials estimate that the country could need up to a decade of reforms to meet the bloc’s full accession criteria.

Despite this, a reference to Ukraine joining the EU in 2027 has already been included in drafts of a US-led 20-point peace plan under discussion, according to people familiar with the talks.

Commission officials believe Zelenskyy would only be able to accept painful concessions — including possible territorial losses — if he can present EU accession as the central political achievement of any deal.

Under the proposals being developed in Brussels, Ukraine would be allowed to join the bloc but without full decision-making powers at first. It would initially be excluded from voting in EU leaders’ summits and ministerial meetings, the officials said.

In return, Kyiv would receive gradual access to parts of the EU single market, agricultural subsidies and internal development funds as it meets post-accession benchmarks.

Such a move would mark a major departure from accession rules agreed in 1993, which require candidate countries to fully implement vast portions of EU law before joining.

The plans are already causing unease in several EU capitals, where governments fear the creation of an “enlargement-lite” model with far-reaching consequences for the bloc’s future structure.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on January 15 explicitly linked Ukraine’s accession process to the peace talks.

“Accession is both a key security guarantee in its own right for Ukraine, but also the essential engine for future growth and prosperity,” she said.

By Sabina Mammadli