Olga Stefanishyna responded sharply to the idea of dividing Ukraine and Moldova in their European integration process under the auspices of the European Union, emphasizing that this scenario is unconstructive and does not serve the country’s interests at all
The Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration expressed her position in the context of statements by EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, who suggested that during the upcoming consideration of candidate countries, there might even be a prospect of advancing Moldova separately from Ukraine. Justifying her viewpoint, Olga Stefanishyna stressed that any separation scenarios are negative for Ukraine’s unity, its integration efforts, and its prospects for further EU membership. She highlighted that she is currently in Budapest to facilitate overcoming existing obstacles and to direct efforts towards resolving Hungary’s blocking of Ukraine’s path to the EU as quickly as possible. According to the vice-premier, the situation is complex, negotiations are not easy, but Ukraine is determined to intensify efforts to find compromises and unblock the process. She explicitly stated: “Statements about the possibility of making decisions regarding Moldova without Ukraine’s participation during my visit to Budapest are unconstructive and do not align with our strategy of unity.” This was her reaction to hints from EU Commissioner Marta Kos that the EU might consider continuing negotiations with Moldova separately, without Kyiv’s involvement, which caused significant concern among Ukrainian authorities. Additionally, Stefanishyna announced that on May 1, she plans a phone call with Marta Kos, during which she intends to again discuss the issues of unity and a joint road map for Ukraine and Moldova. She emphasized that for Ukraine, maintaining integrity and equality in relations with the EU remains paramount, and any scenarios that could divide these efforts are unacceptable. Currently, it is important to note that Hungary’s blocking of the launch of new negotiation clusters for Ukraine has become one of the most serious obstacles on the path to European integration. Hungary cites issues related to the Hungarian national minority, which allegedly complicates the implementation of reforms and the fulfillment of EU standards and transparency requirements. At the same time, sources, including "European Pravda," report that the situation could force Moldova to begin the first stage of negotiations earlier than Ukraine. Moldova, which has also actively started negotiations and already intends to open the first cluster on “Fundamental issues,” might, under a prolonged blockage of Ukraine’s accession, accelerate its process, thereby creating additional pressure on the European community and possibly diversifying approaches to regional integration. In conclusion, Ukrainian authorities insist on unity and a firm stance regarding the integrity of the negotiation process, emphasizing that any attempts to divide states into different trajectories are unacceptable and could negatively impact Ukraine’s EU accession aspirations as well as regional stability overall.