Ukrainian EU integration minister comments on Ukraine's EU membership as substitute for NATO

The Ukrainian government insists that Ukraine is committed to become a member of both the EU and NATO amid rumours suggesting that Donald Trump's proposed peace plan includes Ukraine's renunciation of NATO membership in exchange for EU accession by 2030.

Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, was asked at the conference Ukraine’s EU Accession: Shaping a Transformative Agenda in Kyiv to comment on reports suggesting that Trump's peace plan includes Ukraine abandoning its NATO aspirations in favour of joining the EU by 2030.

Stefanishyna clarified that she is not involved in the ongoing negotiations about ending the war and is unaware of any such documents or plans.

"However, I do know for certain that my position includes both the terms 'European' and 'Euro-Atlantic' integration and these commitments are enshrined in the Constitution.

We must negotiate from a position of strength, regardless of whether EU membership is included in any peace plans. Ukraine’s membership in the EU will happen, so it is not up for debate," she said.

Stefanishyna also noted that during the NATO summit in Washington, all allies, including the US, Hungary and other member states, reaffirmed that Ukraine's NATO membership is irreversible. 

"These are the foundational points from which we proceed," she added.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed confidence that his US counterpart, Donald Trump, could influence Ukraine's NATO accession.

Meanwhile, Trump has stated that he "can understand Russia's feelings"  regarding NATO, given that the previous US administration had openly supported Ukraine's NATO membership ambitions.

The conference on 7 February is supported by the German development agency GIZ and the EU project Pravo-Justice. European Pravda is an official media partner of the event.