Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, emphasized this during the discussion “EU, Ukraine, Croatia — from Enlargement to Democratic Resilience. The Role of Parliaments and Mutual Cooperation,” organized by the European Parliament Office in Zagreb.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze noted that Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine has lasted not four, but nearly 13 years. At the same time, Ukraine’s European integration began immediately after the Revolution of Dignity, when the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement was signed. “So when we applied for candidate status, we already had a lot to demonstrate to the EU in terms of what had been achieved before,” the Chair said.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze thanked the European Union for its support, in particular for decisions that enable Ukraine to move forward in the negotiation process despite existing political obstacles. “We are grateful to the EU that, despite Hungary’s veto, a way was found to provide Ukraine with negotiating positions for all six clusters. This allows the Ukrainian government to prepare the National Programme for the Adaptation of Legislation to EU law. We expect the government to present this programme to parliament. Based on it, we will be able to demonstrate clear results that will be tangible both for our European partners and for Ukrainians — showing how Ukraine is changing and transforming,” she said.

She stressed that at this stage, priority should be given to efforts related to the “Fundamentals” cluster, including anti-corruption measures, the rule of law, and the functioning of democratic institutions. “It is particularly important to uphold these principles under martial law. The restrictions it entails create temptations to postpone certain democratic reforms, but I am convinced that we must not allow this,” Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze emphasized.

The Chair of the Committee underscored that EU enlargement is important not only for Ukraine, but also for the European Union itself and other candidate countries. She noted that Ukraine is actively engaging with partners, including parliamentarians in European countries through the COSAC platform, in bilateral formats, as well as within the United4Ukraine network, explaining to partners across the democratic world the importance and mutual benefits of supporting Ukraine and its European and Euro-Atlantic integration. She expressed confidence that Ukraine can become a strong and influential member of the European community and contribute its unique experience to the EU, particularly in the field of defence and security.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze also highlighted that public support for European integration in Ukraine remains high despite the war. In her view, this makes honest and open communication with society about the scope of tasks ahead and realistic timelines for full EU membership especially important.