President Zelenskyy welcomed the European Commission’s 2025 Enlargement Package, which says Ukraine is "confidently moving toward" EU membership and ready to open Clusters 1, 2 and 6. The Commission commended Ukraine’s resilience and reforms but urged stronger, independent anti-corruption safeguards after a controversial July bill was reversed. Kyiv aims to provisionally close accession talks by end-2028, a timeline the Commission supports but says requires faster rule-of-law reforms. Political resistance from Hungary’s Viktor Orbán remains a major external obstacle.
EU Report: Ukraine 'Confidently Moving Toward' Membership — Clusters 1, 2 and 6 Ready to Open
President Zelenskyy welcomed the European Commission’s 2025 Enlargement Package, which says Ukraine is "confidently moving toward" EU membership and ready to open Clusters 1, 2 and 6. The Commission commended Ukraine’s resilience and reforms but urged stronger, independent anti-corruption safeguards after a controversial July bill was reversed. Kyiv aims to provisionally close accession talks by end-2028, a timeline the Commission supports but says requires faster rule-of-law reforms. Political resistance from Hungary’s Viktor Orbán remains a major external obstacle.
00:34, 05.11.2025Politics
Zelenskyy: Ukraine advancing toward EU membership after Commission progress report
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday welcomed the European Commission’s 2025 Enlargement Package, saying the report confirms Ukraine is "confidently moving toward EU membership" and is ready to open Clusters 1 (fundamentals), 2 (internal market) and 6 (external relations).
The Commission praised Ukraine’s "remarkable resilience" in the face of Russia’s full-scale invasion and its continued commitment to reforms that align the country with European standards. At the same time, the report flagged persistent concerns about ensuring a robust, independent anti-corruption framework.
"This is the best assessment to date—proof that even as we defend against Russia’s full-scale aggression, Ukraine continues to reform and transform according to European standards," Zelenskyy wrote on X.
In late July, Zelenskyy signed a controversial bill that opponents said risked undermining the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. Following widespread public protests and international pressure, he signed a replacement law on July 31 that reversed those changes. The Commission urged Kyiv to preserve the autonomy of its anti-corruption institutions and recommended expanding NABU’s jurisdiction.
The report also noted that Ukraine has adopted roadmaps on the rule of law, public administration and democratic institutions, as well as an action plan for national minorities — all assessed positively by the Commission. Kyiv has signaled an objective to provisionally close accession negotiations by the end of 2028; the Commission supports this ambition but stresses that an acceleration of reforms is required, especially on rule of law.
While many EU officials welcomed the progress, political obstacles remain. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has repeatedly blocked parts of Ukraine’s accession process and has proposed a "strategic agreement" with Kyiv as an alternative to full membership, arguing that full membership would be "too much."
What’s next: The Commission expects Ukraine to meet the conditions to open the remaining clusters and aims to enable the Council to advance the opening of all clusters before the end of the year. Continued legal safeguards for independent anti-corruption institutions and accelerated rule-of-law reforms will be central to progress.