Ukraine Has A Real Chance Of Completing EU Accession Negotiations By End Of 2028 — Maternová

EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Maternová has expressed optimism about Ukraine's prospects of concluding EU accession negotiations by the end of 2028, provided that reforms are expedited. The EU Ambassador made these remarks to RBC-Ukraine, based on information relayed by UATV English. According to Maternová, all six negotiation clusters are scheduled to be launched by the end of this year.

However, she cautioned against comparing Ukraine's path to European integration with that of Moldova, as the accession criteria remain consistent for both nations, but the circumstances surrounding their progress vary considerably. Ukraine's ambition to finalize talks by year-end hinges on accelerating reforms. To facilitate this, a joint EU-Ukraine working group, established in October, will assist in preparing necessary reforms and identify which ones should take precedence.

Maternová stressed that the government must present well-founded proposals, while the parliament requires the necessary political will and determination to review and enact these recommendations. Previously, it was reported that Ukraine has enhanced its accession-readiness indicators in nine negotiation chapters. In the first half of 2027, the European Commission intends to engage in a special dialogue with Ukraine's government to explore additional avenues for gradual integration.