Brussels plans fast-track EU entry for Ukraine, sparking fears of two-tier membership

The Financial Times reported the information.

The preliminary plan under discussion in Brussels would represent a dramatic departure from the EU's accession system established in 1993, creating what critics describe as an "enlargement-lite" approach that could fundamentally reshape the union's expansion model, according to seven senior officials involved in the discussions.

Ukraine became an official EU candidate country shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 and views membership as central to its postwar recovery and western alignment. Drafts of a U.S.-led peace plan currently under negotiation reference Ukraine joining the EU as early as 2027, despite Brussels officials estimating the country may require a decade of reforms to meet standard entry requirements.

Commission officials recognize that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would likely only accept potential territorial concessions to Russia in a peace deal if he could present EU membership as a significant achievement in return.

The proposal would allow Ukraine to join the bloc with substantially reduced decision-making authority. Kyiv would initially lack normal voting rights at leaders' summits and ministerial meetings, according to officials familiar with the plan. Ukraine would gain incremental access to portions of the EU's single market, agricultural subsidies, and development funding only after meeting specific post-membership benchmarks.

This would fundamentally alter the 1993 accession framework requiring candidate countries to implement vast EU regulations across multiple policy areas before entry.

"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures," said one senior EU diplomat briefed on the concept. "The rules were written more than 30 years ago. And they need to be more flexible. This is a once-in-a-generation moment and we have to meet it."

However, diplomats from member states and other candidate countries expressed serious concerns about the approach. Some worry it could undermine the bloc's stability, diminish the value of membership, and create resentment among other aspirants.

"It's a trap set by Putin and Trump and we are walking into it," said a second EU diplomat, warning of risks to EU unity.

Mujtaba Rahman, Europe managing director at Eurasia Group, noted the dilemma facing Brussels: "It has no choice but to expedite Ukraine's accession, yet doing so will open a Pandora's box of political and policy risks no one in Brussels quite fully understands."

Ukraine's progress through the conventional accession process has been blocked by Hungary, which has used its veto power to prevent unanimous approval required for advancing through the 35 accession chapters. EU and Ukrainian officials believe U.S. involvement in any peace agreement could pressure Budapest to relent.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen connected Ukraine's accession to peace negotiations on Thursday, stating: "Accession is both a key security guarantee in its own right for Ukraine, but also the essential engine for future growth and prosperity."

Nevertheless, many member states remain strongly opposed to creating exceptions or establishing a two-tier membership structure. "You can't have a merit-based process with a fixed completion date," said one bloc diplomat. Another senior EU official warned that forcing the plan on member states "will open a damaging rift between Brussels and member states."

The proposal also raises questions about other candidate countries. Montenegro and Albania, which are furthest along in the accession process, may feel their achievements are being devalued. It remains unclear whether countries making minimal progress toward membership, such as Bosnia and Turkey, would be offered similar arrangements.

The plan could also affect relationships with European Economic Area countries like Norway, which participate in the single market without voting rights, as well as close partners such as the UK.

"You're posing huge, difficult questions with something like this," said a third senior EU diplomat. "There are so many unforeseen outcomes possible."