Junior Analyst at the New Europe Center, Anton Alimov, took part in an online discussion hosted by the German-Ukrainian Bureau, dedicated to the first results of the independent “Membership Check” initiative, which assesses Ukraine’s progress in implementing reforms on its path toward EU membership.

The event brought together representatives of Ukrainian and international think tanks, as well as civil society, to discuss progress in implementing 10 reform priorities agreed between Ukraine and the EU at the end of 2025. According to experts, as of the first quarter of 2026, progress remains low: most reforms are still at the stage of preparation or discussion, without tangible results.

During the discussion, Anton Alimov emphasized the importance of the initiative for Ukraine’s European integration: “Membership Check is a crucial step towards reigniting the speed of Ukraine’s EU accession, whilst supporting the commitment of quality implementation for difficult reforms.”

In his remarks, Anton Alimov stressed that the main goal of “Membership Check” is to independently assess not only progress, but also the quality of reform implementation required for Ukraine’s EU membership. He also highlighted the continuity of efforts by Ukrainian civil society, which continues to monitor reforms even under the conditions of full-scale war and martial law.

Junior Analyst further noted that the research methodology was developed jointly by members of a coalition of think tanks, making it more structured and better suited for assessing reforms across different sectors.