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EU executive weighs idea of quick, but limited membership for Ukraine

16 January 2026 18:52 (UTC +04:00)

The European Commission is considering ways to allow Ukraine's quick accession to the EU as part of a peace deal with Russia but without giving Kyiv full membership rights, which would only be "earned" after transition periods, EU officials said, APA reports, citing Reuters.

The idea, which is at a very early stage, is intended as a possible gesture to Ukrainians who are seeking EU membership as part of a post-war security guarantee from Europe and who after four years of fighting off a Russian invasion want a credible promise that they are on the path toward economic stability and integration with the West.

Ukrainian EU membership in 2027 was pencilled into a 20-point peace plan discussed between the United States, Ukraine and the European Union, diplomats said, as a measure to ensure Ukraine's economic prosperity after the war ends.

But many EU governments believe that date, or any other fixed date, is completely unrealistic, because EU accession is currently a merit-based process, moving forward only when there is progress in adjusting a country's laws to EU standards.

Joining the bloc also requires signoff from the national parliaments of the EU's 27 member states.

The idea floated by EU officials would see the traditional process reversed, though even limited membership would still require the consent of EU governments and national parliaments.

"We have to recognise that we are in a very different reality than when the (accession) rules were first drawn up," one EU official said.

Ukraine - and potentially other candidates - would join the EU quickly and then get 'staged access' to voting rights, depending on their progress towards meeting the full membership criteria, the official said.