Refinitiv interviews with more than a dozen EU diplomats and officials show growing private caution about Ukraine's EU accession, saying both Kyiv and the EU must overcome substantial hurdles. Gerald Knaus, chair of the European Stability Initiative, said: In many countries, politicians do not expect Ukraine to join the EU within the next 10 years. Polling cited showed 57% in France and Poland oppose Ukraine joining in the coming years; Germany is 59% opposed. A diplomat added that a wave of nat

2026-11-11

Refinitiv interviews with more than a dozen EU diplomats and officials show growing private caution about Ukraine's EU accession, saying both Kyiv and the EU must overcome substantial hurdles. Gerald Knaus, chair of the European Stability Initiative, said: In many countries, politicians do not expect Ukraine to join the EU within the next 10 years. Polling cited showed 57% in France and Poland oppose Ukraine joining in the coming years; Germany is 59% opposed. A diplomat added that a wave of national elections across Europe next year could leave governments with little bandwidth to campaign for enlargement.