Zelensky Offers Taras Kachka Post as Ukraine’s EU Representative

President Volodymyr Zelensky has offered Taras Kachka, the former deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, the position of Ukraine’s representative to the EU in Brussels.

Announcing the move on Facebook on Friday, Zelensky thanked Kachka for his work and praised his contribution to Ukraine’s progress toward EU membership.

“Given Taras’s proven track record and experience in trade policy, he will combine this work with the EU with the role of Ukraine’s trade representative – within the framework of our bilateral trade agreements with key partners,” he said.

However, Zelensky noted that Ukraine is still awaiting decisions on four additional negotiation clusters in its accession process but believes Kachka will be able to advance that work from Brussels.

“I believe that Taras will be able to implement this most effectively in the representation of Ukraine in the EU – in Brussels,” he said.

Additionally, Zelensky set a task in the European integration direction to “develop more sectoral, detailed activity to pass already open clusters in negotiations with the EU on Ukraine’s accession, and to focus on communication with both EU institutions and national governments of EU countries to open the next clusters.”

The announcement comes a day after the Verkhovna Rada approved a new Cabinet of Ministers, in which Vsevolod Chentsov was appointed deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, replacing Kachka in that role.

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Kachka, with a strong background in agriculture, has played a key role in Ukraine’s EU negotiations, with the reform plan often referred to as the “Kachka-Kos plan,” named after him and European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos.

EU accession progress

On Tuesday, Ukraine opened Cluster 6, “External Relations,” in its EU negotiation talks.

According to an EU press release, the cluster “is a core thematic grouping within the EU’s accession negotiation framework setting the parameters for how candidate countries align their international, trade and defense policies with the EU.”

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Kos confirmed the development on social media, matching the timeline previously confirmed by Kyiv Post’s diplomatic sources after Budapest dropped its veto.

Kos said the cluster covers “security and defense,” an area where Ukraine is “especially strong.”

Kachka said Ukraine’s internal goal is to complete all benchmarks by 2027 and be ready to conclude an accession treaty.

The update came a day after Zelensky’s visit to Paris to announce Ukraine’s “Freyja” anti-ballistic missile system, a joint development project with Europe, with a 12-month goal of developing an affordable, mass-produced system capable of protecting Ukraine and the wider continent.