Ukraine's accession to the EU by 2027 will not happen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, quoted by the German magazine Stern.
„Ukraine's accession on January 1, 2027 is out of the question. It will not happen. These processes usually take several years“, he said.
He also noted that Ukraine should have the prospect of becoming a member of the European Union. However, according to Merz, „this is a long-term process“.
On January 27, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on his Telegram channel that Ukraine's accession to the EU is one of the key security guarantees for Kiev and Europe. „That's why we are talking about a specific date – 2027 – and we count on the support of our partners for our position“, explained the Ukrainian leader.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić also stated that one of the points in the peace plan for Ukraine could include the country's accession to the European Union by January 1, 2027. However, he noted that some countries may oppose it.
In November 2025, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos announced the possibility of introducing a multi-year “trial period“ for new EU members. Zelensky responded that month that Ukraine would only agree to full membership.
In December, there were discussions about Ukraine joining the European Union in 2027 as part of the peace plan, but some EU members, mainly Hungary, oppose such a condition.
In mid-December, several European officials and diplomats told Reuters that Ukraine joining the EU by 2027, as envisaged in the updated US peace plan, was “absolutely impossible”.
Moscow has previously said that Kiev's eventual accession to the European Union is its sovereign right.