Albanian PM Calls EU Accession Promises to Ukraine ‘a Lie’

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama warned that Western leaders are offering unrealistic promises to Ukraine regarding EU membership, asserting that Kyiv will “never” achieve accession under conventional bureaucratic procedures. Speaking in an interview with Die Welt, Rama argued that the 27-nation bloc must fundamentally overhaul its enlargement methodology by imposing rigorous performance standards while simultaneously offering candidate states tangible, early integration into institutional mechanisms.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Look at Ukraine. What they are promising it is a lie. Under the regular accession path, with all criteria, it will never be accepted. Everyone knows this,” Rama stated, contending that European officials privately acknowledge the standard accession framework is ill-suited for a nation fighting a full-scale war. Rama advocated for a phased integration model where Ukraine and other candidate nations are brought directly into EU working formats and consultative bodies immediately, with formal statutory membership conferred subsequently based on verified reform milestones and tangible results. Veto reform The Albanian prime minister also addressed the structural challenges of EU enlargement, warning that expanding the bloc without institutional reforms risks paralyzing decision-making due to unilateral member-state obstruction. Rama voiced unequivocal support for abolishing the national veto mechanism in European Council voting, arguing that unanimity requirements leave the union vulnerable to tactical blockades by individual capitals. Other Topics of Interest Switzerland Allocates $162M for 8 Ukraine Recovery Projects Switzerland has approved a 135 million-franc ($162 million) package to finance eight corporate reconstruction projects in Ukraine. He stressed that in an era of heightened global competition against economic and technological powers such as the US, China, and India, the EU cannot afford procedural gridlock. “In a world where Europe must compete with China, the US, and India, it is unacceptable that a single member state can block decisions for the entire European Union,” Rama said, pointing to repeated instances where bilateral disputes have stalled accession tracks across the Western Balkans. Albania itself has navigated protracted EU accession procedures since obtaining official candidate status in 2014, with its negotiating framework repeatedly delayed by regional disputes and institutional reform reviews in Brussels. Merit-based accession and the 2027 timeline Rama’s critique coincides with pushback from European officials regarding accelerated membership timetables promoted by Kyiv. EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos dismissed President Volodymyr Zelensky’s stated target of securing EU entry by Jan. 1, 2027, reiterating that accession remains strictly merit-based. While acknowledging that Russia’s war restored enlargement as a strategic priority, Kos emphasized that calendar targets cannot bypass statutory membership criteria. The timeline has come under intense scrutiny as Ukraine works to fulfill foundational governance benchmarks. A September assessment conducted by civil-society coalition Membership Check revealed that implementation of the “Kachka-Kos” priority reform plan – a 10-point emergency blueprint on justice and anti-corruption agreed in December 2025 – remains stalled at 15 percent, with roughly three months remaining before year-end deadlines. Monitoring groups highlighted unfinished judicial reforms, delays in enhancing the institutional autonomy of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), and vulnerabilities in prosecutorial appointment procedures. Institutional tensions surfaced in September when former Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko issued a notice of suspicion against NABU Director Semen Kryvonos following an internal probe into the Prosecutor General’s Office. The confrontation prompted parliament to approve Kravchenko’s dismissal, with legal experts warning that recurring executive friction risks undermining the independent oversight institutions required by Brussels. While Ukraine opened negotiations on the Fundamentals cluster on June 15 and External Relations on July 14, European diplomats emphasize that opening negotiating chapters marks the commencement of technical alignment rather than confirmation that statutory benchmarks have been achieved. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.