Moldova May Overtake Ukraine on the Path to the EU — European Commissioner Marta Kos

Moldova could potentially join the European Union before Ukraine, since candidate countries are not required to proceed with European integration at the same pace. The decisive factors will be the results of reforms and compliance with EU requirements, said European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos in an interview with the Moldovan television channel TV8, according to Infotag.

 

According to Kos, the European Commission has prepared roadmaps for the four countries that have made the most progress in the European integration process. At the same time, each of them will move toward membership based on its own results.

“Two countries are not required to move at the same pace, and the pace of progress will depend on the effectiveness of each country’s efforts,” the European Commissioner emphasized.

She acknowledged that Moldova could advance toward EU membership much more quickly. However, intentions alone are not enough: the country must fulfill the necessary requirements, and EU member states must confirm the results achieved.

Kos noted Ukraine’s progress despite the war

In assessing Ukraine’s prospects for European integration, Kos called for consideration of the conditions under which the country is carrying out reforms amid Russian aggression. According to her, despite the war, Ukraine sometimes makes more progress than other candidate countries that do not face similar challenges.

The European Commissioner expressed admiration for the achievements of Ukraine and Moldova, specifically mentioning the resilience of Ukrainians.

“Some people, for example in Ukraine, aren’t even sure they’ll wake up alive tomorrow. And yet, despite this, they keep moving forward,” Kos noted.

Kos commented on the possible unification of Moldova with Romania

Separately, the European Commissioner spoke about Moldova’s potential accession to the European Union through unification with Romania. Currently, Chisinau continues to align its legislation with European standards; however, the decision on the method of future integration must be made by the Moldovan people themselves.

Source: Infotag

Earlier, the European Commission assessed the possibility of concluding Ukraine’s accession negotiations by 2028.

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