Austrian Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer says ‘two or three years’ won’t be enough
Ukraine’s hopes of joining the EU any time soon are unrealistic, Austrian Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer said on Monday.
Vladimir Zelensky has previously demanded that Ukraine be included by 2027, insisting his country will be technically ready to join by next year.
Membership is “a step-by-step process” that “will not be finished within two or three years, or whatever the timeline may be.”
Speaking to reporters ahead of a Eurogroup meeting in Brussels, Marterbauer acknowledged that a recently approved €90 billion ($106 billion) loan package is “very important” for Ukraine’s integration into the bloc.
The comments directly contradict Zelensky’s repeated demands, which he has framed as a critical security guarantee which should be part of any peace deal with Russia.
Multiple top EU officials have roundly rejected the timeline. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently declared that “Ukraine’s accession on January 1, 2027, is out of the question,” noting the process typically takes years, if not decades.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also admitted Sunday that member states are “not ready to give a concrete date,” while Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics confirmed there is “no readiness to accept a date” among EU leaders.
Critics of Kiev’s fast-tracked accession have consistently pointed to Ukraine’s deep-rooted problems with corruption and rule of law. A major scandal erupted last year when investigators uncovered a $100 million kickback scheme run by Zelensky’s longtime associate Timur Mindich.
On Sunday, former Energy Minister German Galushchenko was also arrested while trying to flee to Poland and was formally charged with money laundering, participating in a criminal organization, and taking millions in kickbacks from Energoatom contractors.
The corruption scandals have already forced the resignations of several senior officials, including former energy ministers and Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andrey Yermak.
Hungary’s Viktor Orban has vowed to block any accelerated accession, warning that admitting Kiev would drag the bloc into direct conflict with Russia.
Moscow has said it does not oppose Ukraine joining the EU, but views NATO membership as a red line.
