“What is difficult to explain in [Ukrainian] society is that we need to wait. … Waiting is not an option,” Kachka said concerning Kyiv’s EU membership bid. “We need a solution here and now. This is important for Ukraine and the European Union.”
A formal approval to join the EU would be a significant achievement for Zelenskyy, who recently left a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington without success. Trump has rejected Kyiv’s attempts to join NATO, while Hungary remains the primary barrier to its EU membership.
Kachka praised an effort by European Council President Antonio Costa to simplify the EU membership application process, noting Costa had “advocated heavily” for reducing obstacles. “Antonio Costa is really strong in this case. And I will be glad to see if his initiative will be successful,” Kachka stated.
Costa’s initiative was dismissed at an informal leaders’ meeting in Copenhagen, but pro-enlargement countries have since developed a new proposal to counter opposition from Hungary and other skeptical states such as Bulgaria and Greece.
Under this new proposal, as reported by POLITICO and under review in Brussels, new EU members would not have veto rights on bloc-wide policy decisions. This would entail second-tier membership, potentially overcoming fears of the EU’s agenda being influenced by new members like Ukraine, Moldova, and Western Balkan countries such as Montenegro.
Kachka did not comment directly on the new proposal but appreciated the “creative solutions” addressing opposition from Hungary and other EU governments.
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