Vsevolod Chentsov, Ukraine's Ambassador to the European Union, outlined a specific timeframe for Kyiv's EU accession negotiation process during a briefing. According to him, Ukraine expects to begin the preliminary closing of the first negotiating chapters as early as 2027 and to complete the entire process by the end of 2028. 'For the first time in history, we are talking in such substantive, clear categories about our negotiation process, and we see very clear, shall we say, timeframes,' the diplomat emphasized, adding that final deadlines will depend on numerous circumstances and the fact that the country is operating under a state of emergency.
Four Leaders and Nine Areas of Progress
Chentsov noted that Ukraine is among the four leading countries in the negotiation process and understands its future trajectory. In his assessment, significant progress has already been demonstrated in nine chapters: free movement of goods, financial services, digital transformation and media, agriculture, energy, taxation, science and research, education and culture, as well as the Customs Union. According to the ambassador, these specific areas are at the highest level of readiness, and it is in these fields that the preliminary closing of the respective clusters could begin in 2027.
Justice and Law Enforcement Agencies as a Priority
Despite the progress achieved, the diplomat pointed to an area that requires focused work: the issues of justice and law enforcement reform. This, he said, is a key block that Kyiv must continue working on to ensure full readiness for closing the relevant chapters and adopting the necessary legislation across all areas of the negotiation process.
The 2027 Legislative Array and European Commission Assessment
At the government level, according to Chentsov, work is organized in such a way that throughout 2027 — meaning next year — the bulk of legislation across all negotiation chapters will be adopted. Only then, the ambassador emphasized, will Ukraine be able to receive an assessment from the European Commission, based on the conclusions of which the draft accession treaty will be prepared. 'Therefore, the year '28 for us is, of course, a very ambitious but achievable goal, and everything depends on us,' he summarized.
Context: Four of Six Clusters Open, Two Blocked by Hungary
The ambassador's statements came against the backdrop of a recent European Commission report on Ukraine's progress on its path to the EU, which noted significant reforms and compliance with conditions for opening three negotiating clusters despite the ongoing war. To date, the European Union has opened four of six negotiating clusters as part of Ukraine's accession to the block; the opening of the remaining two is still being blocked by Hungary. Thus, the schedule outlined by Kyiv for 2027–2028 involves not only the internal legislative formalization of reforms but also overcoming political obstacles at the level of individual member states.
