EU drafts ‘more cautious’ roadmap for Ukraine’s accession, with no timeline for membership, Politico reports

The European Commission has drafted a more cautious roadmap for Ukraine’s EU accession talks, without setting a date for membership. It frames closer ties with the EU as part of Ukraine’s postwar future and a way to anchor the country in European institutions.

The draft urges Kyiv to accelerate rule-of-law reforms before preliminary talks on policy areas conclude. It expects Ukraine to complete negotiations on seven of 35 clusters by 2027, while Moldova is expected to finish more than 20 areas. European officials have called a proposed 2027 membership date unrealistic.