The EU Ambassador cited three pieces of evidence pointing to the continuation of reforms in Ukraine
Katarina Mathernova, the European Union’s Ambassador to Ukraine, stated that claims regarding an alleged halt to reforms in Ukraine are unfounded. She cited three key arguments which, she said, demonstrate that reform efforts in the country are continuing.
Maternová made these remarks during a speech at the high-level public event “Roadmap on the Rule of Law: One Year After Adoption,” according to a Ukrinform correspondent.
The diplomat noted that over the past weeks and months, she has repeatedly heard claims that “reforms in Ukraine have stalled.” According to her, such statements often come from well-meaning people who are not looking for excuses to avoid helping Ukraine, but rather seek to push it in the right direction.
“But even if we assume good intentions, I would say that they simply lack context and an understanding of the full complexity of the reforms… So let me name three reasons why I disagree with the assertion that reforms in Ukraine have stalled,” Maternova said.
In particular, she noted that Ukraine has significantly improved its standing in the UN’s digital governance rankings and is among the world leaders in terms of digital services, as well as holding high positions in the overall e-governance development index.
“The ‘Diya’ app and various other registries, along with their integration, have created a level of transparency and efficiency in public services that is among the highest in Europe. That is why we are now urging our colleagues in Brussels to take this into account when assessing the rule of law, as it is a crucial aspect of it,” the EU ambassador noted.
The second area is the economy and how corrupt practices can be addressed preventively, rather than solely through punitive measures. According to her, these processes are not always fully captured by standard analytical approaches, as reforms are complex and interrelated.
She also noted that the energy sector has historically been vulnerable to corrupt practices, and the consequences of these problems are now being felt. At the same time, since the beginning of the year, the government has relaunched supervisory boards with the participation of international partners in the five largest state-owned companies, including Naftogaz and Ukrenergo, amended their charters, and moved on to the second stage—establishing an effective corporate governance system.
She cited the work of anti-corruption institutions—which the EU has supported for 12 years, both politically through cooperation agreements and through projects to strengthen institutional capacity—as the third key aspect.
“We are witnessing anti-corruption institutions reaching the highest levels of power in the country,” the diplomat emphasized.
She stressed that comments about a “stagnation of reforms” are often taken out of context, as Ukraine is in its fifth year of a full-scale war for its national survival, freedom, and territorial integrity, while simultaneously continuing its course toward accession to the European Union—even under constant shelling and in the face of daily threats.
“Reforms must continue, and without this, it would be illusory to think that we can move very quickly. But in order to accelerate and move forward, it is important to acknowledge what has already been done and to understand the context in which these reforms are taking place,” Maternova concluded.
Ukraineis asking the EU to pay 2.7 billion euros for reforms.
Zelenskyy called on the European Unionto speed up Ukraine’s accession.
Ukraine hopes that the European Union will open all six negotiation clusters regarding the country’s accession this year and also anticipates the possibility of closing at least one of them by the end of the year.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that our country could open and close all six negotiation clusters necessary for accession to the European Union as early as next year.
