On 23 March 2026, the New Europe Center, together with National Interests Advocacy Network (ANTS), organized a roundtable titled “Determining the Speed of Ukraine’s EU Accession: Political and Strategic Factors”. The event brought together Ukrainian and foreign parliamentarians, government officials, diplomats, experts, and journalists to discuss the prospects and challenges on Ukraine’s path to European Union membership.
At the opening remarks, Sergiy Solodky, Director of the New Europe Center, noted that the EU traditionally favors a thorough but often slow approach to complex issues, where speed can sometimes be perceived as a risk of superficial decisions. “A similar debate about speed versus quality is not new in Ukraine. How should reforms be implemented – quickly or thoroughly? We asked Ukrainians last autumn. Almost 47% favored speed, almost the same number favored quality. The camp for quality is shrinking (it was 60% two years ago). Demand for faster solutions is growing. The ideal is to combine speed and quality. This applies to both reforms in Ukraine and reforms in the EU itself”, Solodky emphasized.
Taras Kachka, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, stressed in his keynote that Ukraine has advanced so far in the negotiation process that there is no turning back. “Ukraine is at a stage where everything depends 100% on us. The main task is to complete reforms in all thematic areas, including the rule of law.” According to the Deputy Prime Minister, if Ukraine can politically mobilize now and rapidly approve all necessary measures, it can maximize speed and achieve the goal of signing the EU Accession Treaty in 2027.
The discussion focused on political will and reform quality as key factors determining the pace of Ukraine’s EU accession. Not only technical membership criteria but also political signals from the EU will be decisive. Success will depend not only on reforms but also on the ability to mobilize political support both in Europe and within Ukraine.
Hanna Hopko, Chairwoman, National Interests Advocacy Network (ANTS), stressed during the discussion: “Without implementing the fundamentals, we cannot move forward, because they are part of the EU’s DNA. If basic reforms are not carried out, no political agreements will work. This is a principled position now clearly voiced in Brussels.”
Leo Litra, Senior Fellow at the New Europe Center, Senior Police Fellow at European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), outlined potential models for future EU enlargement, presenting the Membership by Design concept, which combines flexibility with political support. “We need to move away from narratives like ‘reverse accession’ and ‘fast track,’ advance the Membership by Design model, which combines a political framework with additional elements depending on progress, and establish a working group to design an accession agreement compatible with EU treaties. Fundamentals remain the fundamentals for our integration”, Litra explained.
Sergiy Sydorenko, Editor, European Pravda, kindly moderated the event.
Stay tuned for more detailed messages of the roundtable speakers.
Video recordings are available in Ukrainian and English.
Photo report available here.
Photo credit by Yurii Belakh
