The peace plan reportedly envisages Ukraine's EU membership in 2027.
International media, the Financial Times and AFP, citing sources, reported that the peace plan proposed by the United States to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, foresees Kiev joining the European Union on January 1, 2027.
According to the Financial Times, the proposal is being negotiated by American and Ukrainian officials with the support of Brussels.
But a quick accession of Ukraine to the European bloc could worry some EU countries. The administration of US President Donald Trump believes it can overcome opposition from Hungary, the main opponent of Ukraine's EU membership.
What do the EU say about this possibility?
An EU official told Radio Free Europe that at the "Coalition of the Willing" meeting, Ukraine's membership was mentioned as an important security guarantee, but this issue was not the main topic of yesterday's meeting and the year 2027 was not mentioned.
Another European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, told REL that “I have not seen an official document that mentions January 1, 2027. The [EU membership] process is a merit-based process and will continue to be so.”
Another diplomat, speaking to REL, said that the question of whether Ukraine's membership in the EU, as a security guarantee, is "inevitable."
"In other words, it is part of the security package for Ukraine." However, he said he did not know whether Kiev could join the bloc by 2027.
"The negotiations should be concluded in 2025-2026, and even then, one year for the entire process is extremely ambitious," the diplomat said.
According to this diplomat, the accession process includes the opening and closing of 35 chapters.
"Even countries that have moved very quickly [in the membership process] or that were prepared even before applying, like Iceland, took a considerable amount of time. There are steps in the process that simply cannot be shortened," the official said.
What do they say in Ukraine?
Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's Servants of the People party and chairman of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation, said that such a scenario would be achievable if Ukraine manages to complete all its "homework."
"This is an ambitious goal, but I believe that we should set ourselves this goal and do everything that is required to achieve this goal," Merezho told REL's Ukrainian Service.
According to him, Ukraine's membership in the EU is first and foremost a matter of security, and the sooner Kiev joins the bloc, the greater the chances of a lasting peace.
However, the chairwoman of Ukraine's EU integration committee and a member of parliament from the European Solidarity Party, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, described the possibility of the country's rapid membership as "absolutely unrealistic."
"The US cannot impose such a duty on the EU and I do not believe the EU would agree to such a thing," she said.
According to her, Ukraine must enter the EU as a capable state, otherwise it will face problems.
Klympush-Tsintsadze also stressed that the pace of reforms in Ukraine in 2025 "slowed down significantly" compared to previous years.
"I am convinced that 2027, unfortunately, will not happen," she told Radio Free Europe.
In June 2022, Ukraine received candidate status, months after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor. The country, along with Moldova, submitted their applications for membership shortly before the war in Ukraine began.
