There will be no fast-track accession for the time being: what benefits is the EU preparing for Ukraine?

POLITICO reports this, citing four diplomats familiar with the course of the confidential talks.

European Union countries are preparing a package of short-term benefits for Ukraine, designed to bring it closer to the bloc even before full membership.

According to POLITICO, the proposal is being drawn up after EU capitals rejected plans for Ukraine’s rapid accession.

It is expected that the package may provide for broader access for Ukraine to the EU market, as well as deeper participation in European programmes and institutions.

Ukraine’s Ambassador to the EU, Vsevolod Chentsov, stated that Kyiv’s priority remains full membership of the European Union.

At the same time, he said, Ukraine expects early and tangible steps that will make integration a practical reality right now.

The proposals gained momentum following a tense dinner in March.

At that time, EU countries rejected the European Commission’s ideas regarding so-called “reverse enlargement”.

This approach could have allowed Ukraine to join the EU before major reforms were completed.

Instead, capitals began looking for a more realistic proposal for Kyiv – one that Ukraine could present as a concrete result whilst continuing reforms towards full membership.

One diplomat told POLITICO that following that dinner, member states made it clear: seeing Ukraine in the EU in the short term would be very difficult.

At the same time, he said, the EU must offer a positive way forward towards accession.

The EU is considering ways to connect Ukraine to certain parts of the market, financial mechanisms and political institutions even before official membership.

One diplomat described this model as “accelerated gradual integration”.

Germany and France are involved in shaping the proposal.

Both countries support Ukraine but are cautious about overly rapid accession.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Ukraine’s immediate membership of the EU is “of course impossible”.

At the same time, he suggested that Kyiv could be offered participation in European Council meetings without voting rights.

There may also be talk of Ukraine’s participation in specific formats with other institutions, notably the European Parliament.

Another option being promoted by Ukraine’s allies is to grant Kyiv a form of “associate state” status.

This approach is contained in the Lithuanian proposal seen by POLITICO.

Historically, this status has been applied to countries that have already signed an accession treaty and were awaiting its ratification.

However, the document states that Ukraine’s case demonstrates that its European path has reached a level of stability and certainty that merits such recognition.

Kyiv, for its part, is insisting on more concrete economic support.

According to Chentsov, Ukraine wants phased access to the EU Single Market, linked to progress on reforms.

Kyiv also expects deeper participation in EU programmes and institutions and the swift advancement of agreements such as the ACAA.

The ACAA agreement on the conformity assessment and acceptance of industrial products would allow the EU and Ukraine to recognise each other’s manufacturing standards.

This would simplify the movement of industrial goods across the border without additional checks.

Ukraine is also asking for its businesses to be included in the European Commission’s strategic industrial dialogues.

This concerns sectors such as automotive manufacturing, steel and the chemical industry.

According to Chentsov, this would help better integrate Ukrainian industry into EU value chains.

He noted that such steps could bring Ukraine immediate economic benefits and strengthen investor confidence.

At the same time, it would make Ukraine’s path to the EU beneficial for both sides even before full membership.

Despite political support for Ukraine’s accession, the process itself remains a long one.

No country has joined the EU since Croatia in 2013.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos has stated that accession must be faster, as “external disruptive forces” are targeting candidate countries.

At the same time, she warned that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s expectations of accession in 2027 are “unrealistic”.

Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka told POLITICO that he expects formal negotiation chapters to open in the “coming weeks”.

According to him, this could happen once Viktor Orbán’s successor, Péter Magyar, takes office.

Orbán’s defeat in this month’s election has removed one of the main obstacles to progress for Ukraine and Moldova, whose accession applications are being considered together.

At the same time, a senior European Council official stated that Ukraine would only be able to close the negotiation chapters by the end of 2027 if the current pace of reforms is maintained.

After that, any accession treaty will require the unanimous political support of all 27 EU countries.

The EU will also have to resolve disputes regarding the terms of Ukraine’s future membership.

Despite discussions of short-term benefits, diplomats stress that such a package cannot replace the formal accession process.

One diplomat stated that the main priority remains a return to the normal enlargement process, in particular the opening of all clusters for Ukraine and Moldova without further delay.

As reported by ThePublic, Ukraine will receive €6 billion from the EU for drones in the second quarter of

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