Politico: Tensions rise over Ukraine’s EU accession timeline ahead of talks

Ukraine’s push for rapid accession to the European Union is creating friction between Kyiv, Brussels, and several EU member states ahead of scheduled accession talks next week, diplomats told Politico.

The disagreements centre on the pace of Ukraine’s reform process and the structure of upcoming negotiations.

Brussels is said to be dissatisfied with the speed of reforms in Kyiv, while Ukrainian officials are reportedly concerned that the accession process could be delayed due to political considerations in EU member states, including France’s 2027 presidential election.

The officials also note growing tension over Ukraine’s demand to open multiple negotiation clusters by the end of the summer, rather than proceeding gradually through the accession framework.

Earlier reports from Brussels indicated that formal accession negotiations for Ukraine and Moldova are expected to begin at an intergovernmental conference on enlargement scheduled for June 15 in Luxembourg.

By Sabina Mammadli