Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze and First Deputy Chair of the Committee Vadym Halaychuk took part in the discussion “The Pace of Ukraine’s EU Accession: Political and Strategic Factors.” The event was organized by the New Europe Center in partnership with the National Interests Advocacy Network “ANTS”.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze thanked the European Commission and all EU member states that invested significant resources, efforts and political will to ensure that, despite Hungary’s veto, Ukraine received guidance and negotiating positions across all six clusters. “This allows Ukraine to focus and set priorities for the work that needs to be done. We now expect the government to prepare the National Programme for the Adaptation of Legislation to EU law and submit it to parliament as a general framework in the near future,” she said.

At the same time, she stressed that despite the government’s calls for full implementation, it is essential to prioritize. “I believe this was precisely the intention of the European Union and the European Commission when agreeing on ten priorities during the meeting between Commissioner Kos and Deputy Prime Minister Kachka in Lviv on 11 December 2025 — to help us set these priorities, to help us not only move faster but also demonstrate to our partners that we are serious. However, at this point, even after three months, nothing has been done regarding this plan. This is not the pace we need if there are high expectations and ambitions to complete the technical work, as we are told, by the end of 2027,” Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze emphasized.

The Chair of the Committee also noted that there is currently no formal majority in the Verkhovna Rada, which requires rethinking political relationships and building a new pro-European majority that would include different political factions. “We need to work taking into account the necessity of involving various political forces in this process. If this is done in good faith — both by the government and the Office of the President — I am confident that even the current configuration of parliament is capable of delivering significant results,” she said.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze also highlighted the important role of civil society in Ukraine’s European integration and transformation. “I am very grateful that Ukraine has such a strong civil society that can serve as an additional source of expertise and strengthen our collective ability to communicate with society, explaining the complex steps that will need to be taken. At the same time, we need to rethink and rebuild the entire political reality in Ukraine. Despite the fact that we currently cannot hold free and fair elections, this rethinking will be critical for fulfilling our obligations,” she emphasized.

First Deputy Chair of the Committee Vadym Halaychuk explained that 2027, as a reference point for when Ukraine should be technically ready for accession, is not a random date. “This was exactly the idea of our European colleagues — to somehow structure this process, to give reference points, although of course everyone clearly understood that this is a merit-based process, that the existing requirements must be fulfilled, and that there can be no specific date, no fixed date, but let us use it as a reference point,” Vadym Halaychuk said.

He added that being technically ready for membership by 2027 and completing the political stage of ratification in Member States by 2029 is an ambitious but realistic scenario if the process moves systematically. At the same time, the pace of accession depends not only on reforms but also on political will and the effectiveness of institutional processes, including the parliament’s ability to adopt necessary decisions in a timely manner and maintain the momentum of legislative changes.

According to him, the parliament is currently in quite a difficult situation. On the one hand, MPs are members of negotiating groups working with the European Union and take part in screening sessions. On the other hand, as in most countries that have gone through the process of European integration, there is a political component. “At the moment, there are quite intensive consultations with the government, with factions, the leadership of the parliament, the leadership of factions and groups, in order to understand what the most effective methodology for getting out of this situation could be,” said the First Deputy Chair of the Committee.

He stressed that at present the responsibility in the EU integration process lies with Ukraine. “We will find ways to do this properly. At the same time, we understand that without very close cooperation with our partners, the expert community and civil society, it will be difficult to restore the pace,” Vadym Halaychuk said.

He is convinced that Ukraine’s national interest and its European integration path should unite politicians, experts and civil society, and that joint efforts will allow Ukraine to maintain momentum and make the most of this historic window of opportunity.