Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama stated that Ukraine will never join the European Union based on the existing criteria and that the promises made to Kyiv regarding this step are „a lie”.
Rama argued that, in private, European officials admit that the standard accession procedure is unsuitable for a country at war.
"Look at Ukraine. What is promised to them is a lie. Through the usual path of accession, with all the criteria, it will never be accepted. Everyone knows this," Rama said in an interview given to the newspaper Die Welt.
Albanian Prime Minister calls for the elimination of the veto right
The Albanian Prime Minister added that the EU must fundamentally change its enlargement methodology and impose rigorous performance standards, while also offering candidate states rapid integration into institutional mechanisms.
He advocated for a phased integration model, in which Ukraine and other candidate countries would be immediately included in working formats and EU advisory bodies, with official membership status to be granted later.
Rama also called for the elimination of the veto right of member states, emphasizing that unanimity requirements leave the EU vulnerable to tactical blockages from individual capitals.
"In a world where Europe needs to compete with China, the US, and India, it is unacceptable for a single member state to be able to block decisions for the entire European Union," Rama said.
Ukraine's accelerated schedule proposal rejected by Brussels
The statements of the Albanian Prime Minister come as European officials reject Ukraine's accelerated accession schedule proposed by Ukraine, as reported by Kyiv Post.
EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, rejected the stated goal of President Volodymyr Zelensky to ensure EU accession by January 1, 2027, reiterating that accession remains strictly merit-based, writes Kyiv Post.
Although acknowledging that Russia's war has brought enlargement back to the strategic priorities, Kos emphasized that the objectives set in the schedule cannot override the legal accession criteria.
Additionally, the schedule has been subject to intense scrutiny as Ukraine strives to meet fundamental governance criteria.
T.D.