Merz says it is impossible to accelerate Ukraine's accession to the EU

Ukraine's accelerated accession to the European Union is impossible. This was stated on January 28 by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz after talks with his coalition partners in Berlin, according to the German news agency dpa.

"Accession on January 1, 2027 is not possible. It is impossible," – Merz said.

Any country seeking to join the EU must first meet the Copenhagen criteria, a process that usually takes several years, the chancellor said.

"It's always possible, but such a quick entry is simply not feasible," Mertz added.

The German Chancellor voiced his position after his party colleague and Foreign Minister Johannes Wadefuhl said that Ukraine "deserves a fair chance to join the EU".

"A lasting architecture of peace in Europe requires that Ukraine has a fair chance to join the EU", – Wadeful said on January 28 during a question and answer session in the Bundestag.

He did not comment on the possible date of Ukraine's accession to the bloc.

• In December 2025, Zelenskyy spoke of the possibility of Ukraine's accelerated accession to the EU, but emphasized that some members of the bloc block this is for political reasons – not because of the implementation of a particular reform in Ukraine. In particular, these are Hungary.
• on January 25, 2026, Zelensky stated that Ukraine will be fully prepared before joining the European Union in 2027, so it is important to specify the date of accession in the agreement on the end of the war to obtain clear security guarantees.
• on January 27, Zelensky again said about their hopes for EU membership in 2027.