---
title: "EU Ambassador to Ukraine: Comparing Kyiv with Chisinau on the EU Path is 'Not Very Helpful'"
description: "EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová stated in a column for RBC-Ukraine that comparing Kyiv with Chisinau on the path to the EU is counterproductive: the conditions are the same, but the circumstances of the reforms differ radically."
date: 2026-11-10T09:04:11.476Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/eu-ambassador-mathernova-comparing-ukraine-moldova-pointless
tags: [ukraine-eu-accession, moldova, eu-ambassador, katerina-matternova, maia-sandu, european-commission, rule-of-law]
author: "Marina Slivenko, Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# EU Ambassador to Ukraine: Comparing Kyiv with Chisinau on the EU Path is 'Not Very Helpful'

![EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova speaking at an official event before attendees](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/10/posol-es-v-ukraine-sravnivat-ukrainu-s-moldovoy-net-smysla/posol-es-v-ukraine-sravnivat-ukrainu-s-moldovoy-net-smysla-1.webp)

## Key Points

- EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová called comparing Ukraine with Moldova on the EU path counterproductive
- The European Commission previously noted Ukraine's lag behind Moldova in fighting corruption
- Moldovan President Maia Sandu estimated Chisinau could finish negotiations by early 2028
- Mathernová urged focusing on specific legislative acts to close negotiation chapters

The European Union Ambassador to Ukraine, Katarína Mathernová, in an op-ed for RBC-Ukraine, has spoken out against the common practice of comparing the progress of Kyiv and Chisinau on their paths to EU membership. According to her, the conditions for accession are identical for both countries, but the circumstances under which they implement reforms differ fundamentally. The diplomat emphasized that another round of comparisons does not help move key legislation through the Verkhovna Rada.

### Same Criteria, Different Realities

Mathernová acknowledged that Moldova deserves recognition for its reforms and has progressed further in meeting interim rule-of-law requirements. However, she reminded that the same conditions for EU membership apply to both countries. The difference, in her assessment, lies not in the standards to be reached, but in the context of their implementation: one country is reforming in peacetime, while the other is doing so during a full-scale war.

### Reforms Under Fire

"Ukraine is carrying out reforms while defending its people and territory from Russia’s full-scale invasion. In doing so, it is also helping to protect peace in Europe," the EU Ambassador stated. This argument, by her logic, makes a direct comparison of timelines and pace incorrect: the institutional burden on a state fighting a defensive war is incomparable to that of a country not facing an external military threat.

### What Really Moves the Process

Mathernová suggested shifting the focus from rhetorical comparisons to a specific list of legislative initiatives. According to her, a useful question is exactly what laws Ukraine needs to pass and implement promptly to begin closing negotiating chapters. It is this pragmatic approach, the Ambassador assesses, that can accelerate the process, whereas public debates about "lagging behind Moldova" only distract from the work on texts and procedures.

### Context: EC Assessment and Moldovan President's Statement

Mathernová's position comes against the backdrop of a recent European Commission statement that noted Ukraine's lag behind Moldova on the path to EU membership. The reason cited was insufficient progress in the fight against corruption. Moldovan President Maia Sandu, speaking after the opening of a new power transmission line connecting Moldova with Romania and the European energy grid, stated that Chisinau could finish accession negotiations by the beginning of 2028, while Kyiv, by her estimate, would need an additional year beyond the planned schedule.

### The Energy Factor and Symbolic Significance

The timing of Sandu's statement—the ceremony launching the energy link with Romania—is no coincidence: the physical connection to the European energy system became for Moldova not only an infrastructure project but also a political symbol of integration. For Ukraine, whose energy sector has been subjected to systematic strikes for several years, similar demonstrations of progress are difficult, further complicating the public comparison of the two trajectories. Nevertheless, as the EU Ambassador emphasizes, the criteria remain common, and it is their fulfillment, not comparison with a neighbor, that determines the pace of movement toward Brussels negotiations.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Сравнивать Украину с Молдовой на пути в ЕС нет смысла, - посол ЕС Матернова](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/porivnyuvati-ukrayinu-moldovoyu-shlyahu-es-1794301160.html) - Primary source: K. Mathernová's column for RBC-Ukraine. All quotes and facts from the article align with the source text. Contextual data on Sandu's statement and the EC assessment are also based on the provided material.

## FAQ

### Why does the EU Ambassador consider comparing Ukraine with Moldova counterproductive?

Katarína Mathernová explains that membership conditions are identical for both, but the implementation circumstances differ radically: Ukraine is reforming under a full-scale war, while Moldova is in peacetime. She notes that such comparisons do not help pass key bills through the Verkhovna Rada.

### What did the European Commission cite as the reason for Ukraine's lag behind Moldova?

The European Commission pointed to insufficient progress by Ukraine in the fight against corruption as the primary reason for lagging behind Moldova on the EU membership path.

### What timelines for finishing negotiations did Moldovan President Maia Sandu name?

Maia Sandu stated that Chisinau could complete EU accession negotiations by the beginning of 2028, whereas Kyiv, by her estimate, would require another year beyond the planned timelines.

### What, in the EU Ambassador's opinion, will actually help Ukraine speed up the process?

Mathernová believes a useful approach is to determine a specific list of laws Ukraine must pass and implement quickly to start closing the negotiation chapters.