Kiev's push for fast EU path increasingly straining relations with Europeans — media

LONDON, May 1. /TASS/. Ukraine’s push for accelerated accession to the EU is creating tensions in its relations with European countries, the Financial Times reported. According to the article, Vladimir Zelensky’s increasingly frequent and skeptical remarks about the EU, marked by disappointment, are undermining efforts to reach a compromise. Citing seven sources, the publication said that Ukrainian officials have used recent meetings with their European and US counterparts to press for an accelerated accession timeline, arguing that Brussels needs Kiev as much as Ukraine seeks EU membership. "Membership is not a gift. Maybe there’s some misunderstanding in Kiev about that," one of the sources told the newspaper. "They say: ‘You owe us.’ And that’s not helpful," another source noted. "We have a real problem there. Zelensky and his entourage have never had a real understanding of how [enlargement] works," a third source said. The Financial Times previously reported, citing sources, that Germany has proposed associate member status, which would allow Kiev to attend meetings of relevant ministers and heads of state but would not grant voting rights or automatic access to funding from the EU’s general budget. In Paris, this form of partial membership is referred to as "integrated state status," indicating that Ukraine would not participate in common agricultural policy and European funding programs until full accession. However, on May 1, the publication reported that Zelensky had instructed Ukrainian diplomats not to engage in discussions with the EU on such options, focusing instead exclusively on full membership. "We won't even discuss it," the article quoted an unnamed Ukrainian official as saying. The Financial Times reported that at a recent EU summit in Cyprus, European leaders sought to temper Zelensky’s expectations. "He had to hear some harsh truths. It won’t be as easy as he thinks," a fourth source said. European diplomats stressed that the enlargement process must remain performance-based. They also noted that reform efforts in Ukraine have slowed, particularly in key areas such as the rule of law and anti-corruption measures. At the same time, Kiev is resisting EU demands to raise business taxes as a condition for receiving part of the agreed €90 billion in funding. "Their internal reform push has stalled. It is not good and everyone knows it," another source told the publication. Brussels emphasizes that, with the end of direct military and financial support from the United States, the European Union has become Ukraine’s most important partner. "We are the only friends he has, so he might be better off keeping his mouth shut," one more source said.