“It’s out of the question”: Germany says it “is not possible” for Ukraine to join the EU in 2027

We will still have to wait. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke this week of Ukraine’s possible accession to the European Union in 2027, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz clearly opposed it this Wednesday, January 28. “Membership on January 1, 2027 is out of the question. This is not possible,” he said, reports the DPA news agency.

The German Chancellor does not rule out Ukraine joining the 27 member states of the European Union, but this will take time. The process could take several years, with any country wanting to be a member of the EU having to meet the Copenhagen criteria, he recalled.

Application submitted at the start of the war

“We can gradually bring Ukraine closer to the European Union (…) It is still possible, but such rapid accession is simply not feasible,” summarized Friedrich Merz.

A former Soviet republic, Ukraine gradually moved closer to the EU after the fall of the USSR. The invasion of the country, triggered by Vladimir Putin’s army in February 2022, accelerated things regarding kyiv’s possible accession to the Union.

A few days after the start of the war, the application for membership in the Union was submitted, before it was studied by the Brussels authorities in the months that followed. In 2024, official negotiations begin.

Hungary blocks

The American peace plan for Ukraine discussed for several weeks between kyiv and Washington envisaged membership as early as 2027. But such a project seems unlikely due to possible opposition, among others, from EU member states with tense relations with Ukraine, such as Hungary.

A sign that unanimity is still far from being achieved, the Hungarian government launched a petition this week to oppose continued European aid to Ukraine.

In addition, the eradication of corruption is one of the main conditions for the country’s membership in the European Union. But several scandals have erupted in recent months.

This Tuesday, however, Volodymyr spoke about the 2027 deadline on “We are counting on the support of our partners to defend our position,” he added.