Chentsov: Phased EU accession for Ukraine not compromise but pragmatic tool

Ukraine's Representative to the European Union, Vsevolod Chentsov, said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

"In fact, the concept of phased accession is not new. We saw something similar during the accession of other countries in the past, including the major wave of expansion. Transitional periods were established to allow candidate states to prepare for membership, and certain guarantees were provided to ensure that when a country integrates into specific sectors of the European market, it is ready both in terms of legislation and practical implementation, and that its economic actors are prepared for competition," Chentsov said.

He clarified that in Ukraine's case, the goal is to "accelerate processes without compromising quality."

"A phased accession process could serve not as a compromise for Ukraine, but as a pragmatic instrument to speed up integration – provided the process is properly designed," the diplomat said.

He explained that such a model could envisage gradual economic integration into the EU single market and synchronization of access to EU policies and instruments with the completion of obligations under relevant negotiating clusters.

"This approach does not undermine the merit-based principle. On the contrary, it strengthens it. It sets indicative timeframes that create political discipline and motivation for reforms," Chentsov said.

He stressed that Ukraine has already demonstrated its ability to operate within this framework: "The screening process has been completed in record time, reform roadmaps have been prepared, and technical conditions for opening a number of negotiating clusters have been fulfilled."

At the same time, he noted that even the absence of the formal opening of Cluster 1 (Fundamentals) in the accession talks has not slowed reform efforts.

"Ukraine has set an ambitious but measurable goal – to complete internal preparations for membership by the end of 2027. Greater clarity regarding the timeline for accession does not contradict the merit-based approach; rather, it reinforces it," the diplomat said.

Chentsov also added that Ukraine's accession to the EU would serve as a security guarantee not only for Ukraine but also for the European Union itself.

"This is a mutual interest. In practical terms, we are already Europe's frontline of defense. It is also about the consistency of the European Union's actions, which in 2022 made an important political decision by granting Ukraine candidate status," Chentsov said.

Given the massive scale of investments in various forms and instruments – including the recent EUR 90 billion loan – it would be short-sighted for the EU to leave Ukraine "at a crossroads," the diplomat concluded.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said earlier that discussions on accelerating Ukraine's EU accession were increasingly taking on practical dimensions, as awareness grows in Europe of the importance of Ukraine's membership as an element of common security and the EU's strategic development, despite existing reservations and differences.