Ukraine ready to forgo EU membership benefits to speed up accession process – media

Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Taras Kachka stated that Ukraine is ready to postpone receiving certain benefits of European Union membership to accelerate the process of joining the bloc, Bloomberg reports.

In particular, according to him, Ukraine is ready to delay receiving subsidies under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for several years to dispel concerns regarding one of the bloc’s largest and most politically sensitive programs.

"This kind of approach is possible, but let’s discuss modalities," Kachka said in an interview with Bloomberg TV.

Ukraine has already had disputes with EU countries, particularly Poland, regarding the bloc’s easing of trade restrictions on agricultural exports from Kyiv. If Ukraine joins the EU, it would also be entitled to significant benefits under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), further complicating the situation around one of the most controversial issues during EU budget negotiations.

This program provides financial support to EU farmers and constitutes a significant part of the bloc’s long-term budget, often determining the course of negotiations for admitting new members. Currently, the EU is negotiating a long-term financial program that will run from 2028 to 2034. According to Kachka, Ukraine could join the CAP in the next EU budget cycle.

Kyiv’s priority is full EU membership as quickly as possible, even if it means delaying access to certain policies and funding sources enjoyed by other member states.

Kachka noted that Ukraine is ready to quickly fulfill EU requirements and aims to sign an accession treaty as early as next year, depending on progress. According to him, after that, member states would still need several years to ratify Ukraine’s membership.