A study on challenges and policy options regarding Ukraine’s EU accession process
Kyiv’s path to EU membership, a central strategic objective in defending Ukraine’s sovereignty, is not only a question of reforms in Ukraine, but also of political acceptance in the EU Member States.
A high-level roundtable, co-hosted by Bertelsmann Stiftung and the Center for Liberal Modernity in Berlin at the end of 2025, brought together experts and decision-makers for an honest and closed-door annual check-in. It addressed the challenges of engaging with a country that is simultaneously defending its sovereignty and contributing to European security.
As Ukraine presses for greater clarity on its accession timeline, decisive obstacles remain within the EU: enlargement decisions are subject to unanimity, giving each Member State effective veto power. At present, Hungary is blocking Ukraine’s advancement in the already long and demanding accession process, but any other Member State could do the same in the future.
This is why this year’s thematic focus was on the domestic debates in Member States. Thanks to the latest eupinions data, Bertelsmann Stiftung’s platform for European public opinion, participants also discussed how public support for Ukraine has been evolving across the EU.
What in 2022 began as a hands-on workshop on where Ukraine’s EU integration and accession process stand, has grown into a trusted European expert community and network. A (non-public) input paper has since been developed into a study that consolidates and shares the roundtable’s main findings. It examines where and why resistance to Ukraine’s accession persists among Member States, how these obstacles are addressed, and which policy options could help build the political will necessary to advance Ukraine’s EU path.
The study includes country-specific contributions regarding France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania, as well as Ukraine, and concludes with targeted policy recommendations.
To deliver security and prosperity for Ukraine and the EU, political leadership and involved actors should be guided by three principles.
1. Achieve clarity on goals and costs: Address concerns and reservations with evidence to sustain long-term support, shifting public sentiment and rebuilding trust where needed.
2. Foster alliances: Identify cooperation that can leverage national strengths to advance the common European good, especially where national-level interests risk hindering Ukraine’s accession.
3. Regain agency: Contribute to an environment in which Member States and Ukraine find common ground, but do not shy away from addressing a lack of solidarity or abuse of veto power.
In this way, enlargement can strengthen Ukraine and the EU, deliver long-term benefits, substantiating the argument that Ukraine’s membership is an investment in peace, security and prosperity.
