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Ukraine – is a Eurointegration front-runner, – Deputy Ambassador of the EU

18/11/2025

Deputy Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine, Gediminas Navickas, met with students of the Institute of International Relations at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and Young European Ambassadors for an open discussion on EU enlargement and Ukraine’s future in the Union. The event was organised within the EU Enlargement Forum in Brussels.

In his keynote address, Gediminas Navickas outlined:

  • how the EU assesses Ukraine’s progress in the annual Enlargement Package and why Ukraine is seen as one of the front-runners among enlargement countries;
  • why reforms in the area of the rule of law and the anti-corruption architecture (including NABU, SAPO and other institutions) remain crucial for moving towards membership;
  • how the European Union supports Ukraine financially, economically and in the field of security, including macro-financial assistance, reconstruction and strengthening Ukraine’s defence potential;
  • how the EU’s approach to military support and defence-industrial cooperation is changing, with a growing focus on production capacities in Ukraine;
  • the role of Ukrainian students and young professionals as future diplomats, experts and colleagues in EU institutions in the accession process.

“There is no shortcut to the EU, but accession in 2030 is realistic”

Gediminas Navickas, answering the question about a potential “accelerated” accession of Ukraine to the European Union, spoke about:

  • absence of a formal “fast track” to the EU;
  • role of political decisions by the Member States;
  • his experience of working as a diplomat in Ukraine;
  • the importance of joint work by Ukraine and the EU.

“Not only subsidiarity matters, but also the ability to act together”

Also, the Deputy Ambassador of the EU, Gediminas Navickas, explained:

  • what subsidiarity means in theory and why, in the context of full-scale war, the EU has to think not only about subsidiarity but also about the ability to act together;
  • why is it easier for a single country to make decisions than for 27 EU Member States?

“Ukraine needs to change its strategic culture”

Deputy Ambassador of the EU to Ukraine Gediminas Navickas also answered questions as follows:

  • why the rule of law and anti-corruption institutions remain at the centre of the EU’s attention;
  • why is it not only about NABU and SAPO, but about a comprehensive rule-of-law architecture;
  • what is meant by the phrase “we need to change Ukraine’s strategic culture”;
  • how the EU is working with Ukraine on trade and economic aspects so that Ukrainian producers can compete on the EU market on equal terms.

“Staying in Ukraine is already a contribution to Ukraine’s future”

Deputy Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine Gediminas Navickas answered how Ukrainian students and young professionals can become more active participants in EU programmes and projects related to European integration. He stressed attention on:

  • why the very fact that Ukrainian students remain in Ukraine during the war is already a contribution to the country’s future;
  • what role students and civil society play in keeping Ukraine on its pro-European course;
  • why reconstruction, job creation and economic growth are areas where young people will be particularly needed;
  • which opportunities the Erasmus+ programme and other EU education and research projects open up;
  • why the EU Delegation is waiting for young people “with any initiatives”.

“In debates on Ukraine’s European integration, we must ask: what is the alternative?”

At the end of a meeting, the Deputy Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine, Gediminas Navickas, answered why:

  • why high support for EU membership in Ukraine cannot be taken for granted;
  • why we need to look at European integration from a longer-term perspective;
  • why it is important to honestly ask ourselves: “What is the alternative to the EU path?”.

The video was recorded at the Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv during a public event with students and Young European Ambassadors held as part of the EU Enlargement Forum.

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