“The Commission … sees this new phase in the negotiations as an opportunity to pick up speed and intensity” in Kyiv’s bid to join the EU, Kos said. The 10 points agreed “all focus on strengthening rule of law, fighting corruption and building strong, accountable democratic institutions in Ukraine.”
In a statement co-signed by Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, Kos hailed the completion of a “bilateral screening process.” The commissioner also noted that technical work to open six so-called negotiating clusters had been completed even as Hungary continues to block the formal opening of accession talks with Kyiv, a step that requires the approval of all 27 EU member states.
Kyiv is determined to make rapid progress in its bid to join the EU, and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has encouraged the mission, saying Ukraine’s place is inside the bloc.
However, the recent corruption scandal, which saw Zelenskyy fire one of his closest aides, has dealt a setback to the process. Thursday’s reform plan aims to address the stumble.
“If we do this cluster by cluster and Ukraine does its part, we can make sure that Ukraine is as ready as possible to become a member once the Hungary veto is off the table,” Swedish Europe Minister Jessica Rosencrantz told POLITICO, referring to the possibility that Hungary’s Moscow-friendly PM Viktor Orbán might be defeated in scheduled April 2026 parliamentary elections.
The accession talks are at the heart of peace negotiations being led by U.S. President Donald Trump. With Washington refusing to let Kyiv into NATO, Ukraine’s bid to join the EU looms large as a major incentive for the country to keep fighting and pursuing internal reforms.
“Of course in one sense an EU membership is also one kind of security guarantee,” added Sweden’s Rosencrantz, who was on the ground in Lviv. “We know also that Ukrainian people have been striving for EU membership for many years.”
Among other reforms, the plan unveiled Thursday includes making “comprehensive amendments” to Ukraine’s criminal code; reinforcing its NABU anti-corruption agency; adopting a law to standardize the appointment of prosecutors; reforming the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI); appointing internationally-vetted judges to the Constitutional Court and High Council of Justice; and developing internal control systems against high-level corruption, among other points.