Ukraine hopes to begin concluding negotiations on individual chapters of its European Union accession process in early 2027 and to close most chapters before that year ends, according to Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President. He outlined those ambitions at the EU Accession Exchange Forum.
Zhovkva's remarks were reported by a European Pravda journalist attending the forum. His timetable envisages closing several chapters in the first half of 2027, while work continues in Ukraine to prepare for the Interim Benchmark Assessment Report, known as IBAR. He described that preparation as ongoing alongside Ukraine's broader accession efforts.
As of November 4, four negotiating clusters were open, Zhovkva said. He expressed confidence that the remaining two would also be opened before the end of 2026. His comments set out Ukraine's expectations for the rest of this year and its hopes for concluding negotiations on chapters during the following year.
Zhovkva stressed that Ukraine's ambition for the first half of 2027 extends to more than one chapter. The goal he described is to start closing multiple chapters during that period and then continue toward closing most of them by December. He presented those milestones as outcomes Ukraine hopes to achieve.
The presidential official also addressed Ukraine's relationship with Moldova in the accession process. He said Ukraine wanted to continue moving toward EU membership together with its neighbour. Referring to discussions and speculation about the two countries, he urged that reports concerning their progress should not be treated as a competition.
Zhovkva described Moldova as a friend and partner, while saying Ukraine was working under completely different conditions. He maintained that the two countries should continue the European integration path they had begun together. His comments paired Ukraine's own negotiating ambitions with an emphasis on continuing alongside Moldova in seeking membership.
In the background to those efforts, Ukraine's government and the European Commission established a Task Force at an early stage to help secure approval of draft legislation concerning the rule of law and anti-corruption. That initiative was intended to obtain approval of the draft laws within several months, as Ukraine pursued preparations connected with its EU accession process.
