The BRICS TimesUkraine’s president pushes back hard against partial membership talks, calling for genuine full EU accession as European leaders gather in Cyprus amid progress on a €90 billion loan and new Russia sanctions.
Zelenskyy draws a firm line on EU membership
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made his position crystal clear at an informal EU summit in Cyprus. He wants full, real EU membership for Ukraine, nothing less. While speaking to journalists via the presidential WhatsApp channel en route to Cyprus, Zelenskyy firmly rejected any notion of partial or symbolic participation in the European Union.
“Ukraine does not need symbolic membership in the EU,” he said bluntly.
He went further, connecting Ukraine’s battlefield sacrifices to its right to genuine membership. “Ukraine is defending itself and is definitely defending Europe. And it is not defending Europe symbolically – people are really dying.”
Zelenskyy argued that Ukraine actively protects European values. That, he said, earns the country a proper seat at the EU table not a courtesy invitation.
Zelenskyy warns against chasing hollow arrangements
The Ukrainian president acknowledged that talks about “various possible formats” of membership are happening at several levels. But he cautioned Ukrainian officials against settling for anything cosmetic.
“I would like to warn, first of all, our Ukrainian institutions: please do not look for symbolic EU membership for Ukraine. I do not support this. The people do not support it. What matters most is our people. We have already had enough symbolic unions – Budapest Memoranda, symbolic security guarantees, NATO, a symbolic path to NATO. We deserve full membership in different alliances and, of course, in the European Union.”
He also extended his gratitude to key European allies backing Ukraine’s accelerated path. “I want to thank all our partners, all leaders of the European Union: Germany, France, Poland, Romania, and all countries that truly support Ukraine’s fast-track membership in the European Union and are looking for ways to accelerate it. But here I would like to say: let’s be fair.”
Hungary’s veto looms large over Ukraine’s accession path
Ukraine’s EU accession bid has been frozen since July 2024. That is when Hungary took over the EU Council’s rotating presidency. Outgoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán made clear that no negotiation cluster would open under his watch. He kept that promise, blocking progress and leaving the entire process in deadlock ever since.
With a new government set to take office in Budapest, European leaders in Cyprus are watching closely. Many hope the political shift will allow the accession process to finally breathe again.
European Council President António Costa welcomed the unlocking of the €90 billion loan for Ukraine. He also welcomed the fresh round of sanctions against Russia. He described these as two major moves toward durable peace. Standing alongside Zelenskyy and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Costa pointed ahead. “Now it’s time to look forward and to prepare the next step, and the next step is to open the first cluster of negotiations for the Ukrainian accession to the European Union.”
“We delivered on these two steps and we will deliver in the next step,” Costa added with confidence.
EU leaders offer cautious but hopeful signals on Ukraine’s future
Estonia’s Prime Minister Kristen Michal gave an encouraging read of the situation. He told reporters in Cyprus that there is a real opportunity for a fresh start in Ukraine’s EU accession journey.
“So it will mean that you can start again and to be honest I cannot see any other way than Ukraine’s future is in Europe. That is definitely so. That will mean that the question is only when, not if and how,” he said.
Not all leaders, though, share the same enthusiasm for speed. Many oppose what critics call a “fast-tracked” process, warning that skipping steps could weaken the bloc’s standards.
Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Luc Frieden confirmed Ukraine belongs in the EU. But he stressed that Kyiv must still fulfil membership conditions properly. “There are no shortcuts,” he said, adding that the “EU must continue to function on its fundamental values.”
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever was more direct. “It’s not realistic for Ukraine to join the EU short-term,” he said plainly.
Kyiv wants speed without shortcuts as clock ticks
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Taras Kachka, told reporters that Kyiv wants to move quickly but correctly. He laid out a timeline that sounds ambitious but not impossible.
“I hope that this year we will hear that certain chapters can be treated as closed. That also brings the possibility next year to talk about broad integration into the internal market. Maybe, who knows, that things can be really fast, and next year we will close all chapters, and then we can talk about the treaty of accession.”
Ukraine’s push for full EU membership carries symbolic weight beyond politics. For a country at war, joining the bloc fully not partially which represents security, solidarity, and a confirmed place in the European future.
