President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that Ukraine’s goal is EU accession by 2027.
Writing on X after a call with Austrian Prime Minister Christian Stocker, Zelensky named the timeline and asked for support from EU members.
“Ukraine’s accession to the European Union is one of the key security guarantees not only for us, but also for all of Europe. After all, Europe’s collective strength is possible, in particular, thanks to Ukraine’s security, technological, and economic contributions,” he wrote.
“That is why we are speaking about a concrete date – 2027 – and we count on partners’ support for our position,” he added.
The planned quick accession was reported in December 2025 as part of the US-led peace talks.
On Monday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić claimed that Kyiv’s quick accession is a key condition for a planned ceasefire during ongoing peace talks.
“Part of the plan is that Ukraine becomes a member of the European Union on Jan. 1, 2027. That’s practically tomorrow,” Vučić said, adding that he heard the news “somewhere,” according to a Serbian outlet.
“I’m telling you what I heard somewhere, and I wouldn’t tell you that it’s not true,” he said.
Moscow has long rejected Ukraine’s joining NATO but expressed openness for Kyiv to join the EU.
EU accession usually takes years and demands unanimity among all 27 member states – a hurdle Ukraine has yet to clear, with countries including Hungary repeatedly blocking its bid.
Ukraine has yet to complete any of the EU’s more than 30 negotiating chapters, meaning a 2027 accession target would depart from the bloc’s standard merit-based approach.