The European Commission has assessed the possibility of concluding Ukraine's accession negotiations by 2028

The European Commission has published its annual report on EU enlargement, in which it noted significant progress by Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro, and Albania and provided them with roadmaps for further steps through 2027. 

The document emphasizes that, despite Russia’s full-scale aggression, Ukraine has opened four negotiation clusters and maintains an effective and independent system of anti-corruption agencies.

 To achieve the goal of concluding negotiations by the end of 2028, the European Commission recommends that Ukraine accelerate the pace of reforms in the areas of the rule of law, public administration, and the protection of the rights of national minorities. Montenegro remains the frontrunner in the process and could finalize its accession negotiations as early as December 2026.

Source: European Commission’s Annual Report on EU Enlargement.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos believes that it would be irresponsible to specify a concrete date for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union at this time. According to her, the timing of Ukraine’s accession depends largely on the political situation and processes in EU member states.

As a reminder, the European Commission is preparing a cautious plan for Ukraine’s accession to the EU — Politico Europe.

Ukraine aims to close seven chapters of EU accession negotiations in the first half of 2027—Koretsky.

On October 13, the EU officially opened two new negotiation clusters for Ukraine’s accession.

Ukraine and Hungary plan to establish an intergovernmental commission to address Budapest’s blocking of three negotiation clusters. Opening these clusters is essential for Ukraine’s progress toward EU accession.