Most EU citizens reject fast-track Ukraine accession, poll finds

An opinion survey conducted across the European Union has revealed that 53% of bloc citizens oppose admitting Ukraine to the EU through an accelerated process in the coming years.

According to the study carried out by the Bertelsmann Foundation, 47% of EU residents support the idea of fast-track membership.

The most pronounced opposition to rapid accession was recorded in Romania at 60%, followed by Germany at 59%, and France and Poland at 57% each.

The lowest resistance to Ukraine’s accelerated membership was found in Sweden at 31%. This figure stood at 37% in Spain and Portugal, and remained at 43% in the Netherlands.

Domestic support for the process remains exceptionally high; 83% of the public in Ukraine want to join the bloc as soon as possible.

Europeans differ over defence contributions and strategic benefits

The survey also examined perceptions regarding the defence of the continent. Some 58% of Ukrainians believe that their “resistance against Russia’s military campaign protects the entire continent and the EU as a whole.”

In contrast, 29% of bloc citizens share the view that the EU and its member states contribute more to defending the union than Ukraine does.

While 23% of participants view the efforts of both sides as equal, the share of those who consider Ukraine to be the bloc’s “primary protector” remains at 16%.

The study also indicates that low expectations concerning the tangible benefits Ukraine would provide to the bloc contribute to the limited support for its membership.

Only 14% of surveyed Europeans believe that this accession will make the EU stronger and more influential on a global scale. Meanwhile, the proportion of respondents who anticipate that Ukraine’s entry will increase the bloc’s resilience was measured at 11%.

Timetable debate persists in the negotiation process

Ukraine applied for membership immediately after Russia’s military intervention and gained candidate status in 2022.

The accession process encompasses a 33-chapter reform package organised under six clusters, which aims to guarantee democratic and economic standards.

Formal accession talks began in June 2024. The negotiation process, which had long been blocked by Hungary, made progress after Peter Magyar took office as the country’s prime minister.

Magyar also succeeded in having the term “accelerated accession” for Ukraine removed from EU texts.

Magyar argued that a contrary approach would send the wrong message to Western Balkan nations, such as Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, which have worked towards membership for years.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for the membership process to be completed by 2027, stating that this would provide a fundamental security guarantee for both Ukraine and Europe.

On the other hand, circles within the bloc that oppose rushing the process insist on the complete fulfilment of all conditions, including anti-corruption measures.

Meanwhile, the EU Ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova, points to 2030 as a likely accession date.

For membership to take place following the completion of negotiations, all 27 EU member states must grant unanimous approval.

So far, only the first of the six chapter clusters, covering fundamental values and principles such as the rule of law, human rights, and the judiciary, has been opened for Ukraine.