International relations between the European Union (EU) and Ukraine are shaped through the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). Ukraine is a priority partner within the Eastern Partnership and the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The EU and Ukraine developed an increasingly close relationship, going beyond co-operation, to gradual economic integration and deepening of political co-operation. On 23 June 2022, the European Council granted Ukraine the status of a candidate for accession to the European Union.
The association agreement was initiated in 2012, but the Ukrainian government suspended preparations for signing the association agreement on 21 November 2013, during the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych, who attended the EU summit in Vilnius on 28–29 November 2013, where the association agreement was originally planned to be signed.Ukraine fails to sign landmark deal at EU summit , Euronews (29 November 2013) The decision to put off signing the association agreement led to the pro-EU Euromaidan movement.Ukraine police dismantle Kiev protest camps , BBC News (9 December 2013) These led to the removal of Yanukovych and his government by parliament after the 2013–2014 Ukrainian revolution in February 2014.
The political part of the Association Agreement was signed on 21 March 2014, by Prime Minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk."EU & Ukraine September 30, 2019 FACT SHEET" , European External Action Service (17 April 2014) Meanwhile, the EU froze assets of Russians and Ukrainians suspected of corruption and granted financial aid to Ukraine.Ukraine, EU sign documents required for paying 1 bln euro to Kyiv , Interfax-Ukraine (13 May 2014) The economic part of the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement was signed on 27 June 2014, by the new president, Petro Poroshenko. On 1 January 2016, Ukraine joined the DCFTA with the EU. Ukrainian citizens were granted visa-free travel to the Schengen Area for up to 90 days during any 180-day period on 11 June 2017, and the Association Agreement formally came into effect on 1 September 2017. (Press release) On 21 February 2019, the Constitution of Ukraine was amended, the norms on the strategic course of Ukraine for membership in the European Union and NATO were enshrined in the preamble of the Basic Law, three articles and transitional provisions. On 28 February 2022, during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially signed an EU membership application for Ukraine. Prime Ministers Mateusz Morawiecki of Poland, Janez Janša of Slovenia and Petr Fiala of the Czech Republic, all being member states of the European Union, visited Kyiv and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to express their solidarity and support during the invasion.
Ukraine shares borders with four EU member states; Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania—that stretch about in total, with 33 border crossings by road, rail, ferry, and walking and bicycle path.
On 14 December 2023, the European Council agreed to open accession negotiations with Ukraine. Accession negotiations began on 25 June 2024, at the same time as those with Moldova.
History
Early relations
Ukraine's desire to join the European Union dates back to 1993 when the government declared that integration to the EU was the main foreign policy objective. The Delegation of the European Commission to Ukraine was opened in Kyiv in September 1993. In reality, little was done since Kyiv had to take into account that Russia was its major trade partner and natural gas and fossil energy supplier.
The political dialogue between the EU and Ukraine started in 1994 when the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) was signed. That document was focused on economic and social issues and the necessity of conducting public administration reforms and guaranteeing free press and civil rights. The framework set for political discussions was a yearly meeting between EU Troika and Ukrainian leadership and some inter-ministerial consultations. The first EU–Ukraine summit took place in September 1997 in Kyiv. The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement of 1994 entered into force in 1998 and expired in 2008."EU-Ukraine Summits: 16 Years of Wheel-Spinning". . The Ukrainian Week (28 February 2012) During the second summit in October 1998 in Vienna, EU–Ukraine relations were defined as a strategic and unique partnership and Ukraine first declared its desire to acquire associate membership in the EU. None of the top-level meetings brought major changes to a reserved EU approach. Leaders focused chiefly on post-communism economic transition and human rights records as well as on issues connected to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and its containment.
In 2002, EU Enlargement Commissioner Günter Verheugen said that membership within 10 to 20 years was a possibility. The same year Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma stated that Ukraine would meet all EU membership requirements by 2007–2011.
Post-Orange Revolution relations
The Orange Revolution of late 2004 improved Ukraine's European prospects; the opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko hinted that he would press the EU for deeper ties and described a four-point plan: acknowledgment of Ukraine as a market economy, entry in the World Trade Organization, associate membership in the European Union, and, finally, full membership.EUobserver article (subscription only) Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko asked Brussels mid-December 2004 for a clearer indication of Ukraine's prospects for membership, saying that, "The approved Action Plan reflects only the level of Ukraine–EU relations that we could have reached before the presidential elections in 2004."EUobserver article (subscription only)
On 13 January 2005, the European Parliament almost unanimously (467 votes to 19 in favour) passed a motion stating the wish of the European Parliament to establish closer ties with Ukraine in view of the possibility of EU membership. The European Commission stated that future EU membership would not be ruled out. Several EU leaders stated strong support for closer economic ties with Ukraine.
On 21 March 2005, Polish Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld noted that Poland will, in every way, promote Ukraine's desire to be integrated with the EU, achieve the status of a market-economy country, and join the World Trade Organization. He also said, "At the present moment, we should talk concrete steps in cooperation instead of engaging in empty talk about European integration." Three days later, a poll of the six largest EU nations conducted by a French research company showed that the European public would be more likely to accept Ukraine as a future EU member than any other country that is not currently an official candidate.
In October 2005, Commission president José Manuel Barroso said that the future of Ukraine is in the EU. On 9 November 2005, however, the European Commission in a new strategy paper suggested that the current enlargement agenda (Croatia and in the future the other ex-Yugoslavian countries) could block the possibility of a future accession of Ukraine, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, and Moldova. Commissioner Olli Rehn said that the EU should avoid overexpansion, adding that the current enlargement agenda is already quite full.Mark Beunderman (9 November 2005), "Blow to Kiev as Brussels closes door to further enlargement", EUobserver, (subscription only)
According to the Ukrainian authorities, the ENP is not an adequate political instrument, since joining the EU was one of principal objectives of all governments since 1993. After the Orange Revolution of 2004 that brought to power Viktor Yushchenko, the EU commission was very slow to react: little progress was made to put the largest European country on a path to eventual membership.
Association negotiations
In March 2007, the EU and Ukraine started talks about a new "wider agreement", aiming at offering a legal framework for a closer economic cooperation and a better political dialogue. It was agreed that Ukraine and the EU would start a parallel negotiation concerning setting up a free trade area. Later in 2007, it was announced that this issue would be incorporated into the draft agreement as a separate chapter.
Days before the summit, the Ministers of foreign affairs of Member States agreed during their meeting in Avignon (France) that association agreement to be signed with Ukraine will have nothing to do with the association agreements the EU signed with many Eastern European States (from Poland to Romania in the beginning of the 1990s, Western Balkans by the end of the 1990s). Media reported that the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany were strongly opposed to including "Ukraine is a European State" into EU legally binding documents. This was considered a failure of Kuchma-era politician Mr. Roman Shpek, then Ukrainian ambassador to Brussels. He was replaced by Mr. Andriy Veselovsky, a more experienced diplomat.
A Joint EU–Ukraine Action Plan was endorsed by the European Council on 21 February 2005. It was based on the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement of 1994 and provided, according to the European Commission, a comprehensive and ambitious framework for joint of work with Ukraine in all key areas of reform.
Talks on a free trade agreement between Ukraine and the European Union started on 18 February 2008 between the Ukrainian government and the EU Trade Commissioner.
Portugal publicly stated it supports Ukraine's EU accession in July 2008.
On 22 July 2008, it was announced that a "Stabilisation and Association"-type agreement would be signed between Ukraine and the EU on 8 September 2008 in Évian-les-Bains.
Second Tymoshenko government
On 2 October 2008, Ukraine President Yushchenko announced that the Association agreement between the country and the EU would be signed "within six-eight months". On that day, he met with the King of Sweden Charles XVI Gustav, who paid a state visit to Kyiv. According to Yushchenko, "the agreement is half-ready, and he hopes that there will be a possibility to finalise and sign it under Swedish presidency in the EU." He also welcomed the initiative of Eastern Partnership suggested earlier by Polish and Swedish Foreign Ministers.
On 20–24 October 2008, the EU and Ukraine held a negotiation round on the free trade area chapter of the Association agreement. According to some Ukrainian media, the "EU promised to liberalise trade relations". Ukraine's representative told that one must not "focus too much" on negotiation since there is much to be done by the Ukrainian government to meet certain criteria. He also said, that "soon, the Balkans will enter into the European trade space and therefore Ukraine might lose these markets". This was seen as a reason for Ukraine to move forward as least as soon as Balkans, the EU did not comment on that perception.