Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski emphasizes that Ukraine’s accession to the European Union may be a long-term process, and Kyiv will have a difficult time.

Ukraine declares its willingness to join the European Union, but the head of Polish diplomacy indicates that Kyiv’s path to the EU may take many more years.

“With each decade of the European Union’s existence, it becomes more difficult, not easier, to join it, because the achievements of European law and integration are greater and deeper,” said Sikorski in an interview with journalists.

“It took us about seven years of technical negotiations and we must be sure that Ukraine will be ready, that we will be ready and that enlargement will be a success for both sides. Therefore, all criteria must be fully implemented,” added the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ukraine becoming a negotiating EU candidate gives both Kyiv and the bloc a target point for their relations, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski [@radeksikorski] said ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg. pic.twitter.com/ttHxmx7dyH

— TVP World (@TVPWorld_com) June 15, 2026

Many believed that former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was the main stumbling block regarding Ukraine entering the European Union. However, even with the Hungarian leader gone, Zelensky may find that other European countries were using Orbán as a shield, and they may now have to become more open about their desire to keep Ukraine out as well.

Just last week, Ukraine requested an additional $20 billion from its allies to intensify attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. Each of Ukraine’s allies will be asked to provide between $2 billion and $6 billion in donations or loans.

Ukraine-EU negotiations have begun

European Union member states have agreed to open the first cluster of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova.

“Today, the European Union took a major step forward. All member states have agreed to open the first cluster of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova,” European Council President Antonio Costa said on Friday in a statement published on social media “

Today, the European Union took a major step forward.

All member states agreed to open the first accession negotiations cluster with Ukraine and Moldova.

At the first intergovernmental conference on Monday, we will open the cluster on fundamentals; the backbone of the accession… pic.twitter.com/mRgElIElSk

— António Costa (@eucopresident) June 12, 2026

“At the first intergovernmental conference on Monday, we will open the cluster on fundamentals; the backbone of the accession process. It covers the core values and principles on which the EU is built, from the rule of law to strong democratic institutions”

“This is a recognition of the determination, courage and hard work shown by both countries in advancing reforms, even in the face of immense challenges. And a signal that the EU’s offer of peace, stability and opportunity is unmatchable. Enlargement is a strategic choice. By bringing our nations closer together, we strengthen peace, security and prosperity across our continent,” he continued.