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EU relations with Ukraine

The EU and its member states stand united in their unwavering support for Ukraine. In December 2023 EU leaders decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine.

EU candidate status

Ukraine applied for EU membership in February 2022 and was granted EU candidate status in June 2022. In December 2023, EU leaders decided to open accession negotiations.

In parallel to the enlargement process, the EU and Ukraine also cooperate to strengthen political and economic relations, including through the Eastern Partnership. 

Russia's military aggression against Ukraine

The EU and its member states firmly condemn Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine.

The EU has adopted unprecedented and massive sanctions in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the illegal annexation of Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

The measures are designed to weaken Russia's economic base, depriving it of critical technologies and markets and significantly curtailing its ability to wage war.

The EU stands firmly with Ukraine and its people, and will continue to strongly support Ukraine's economy, society, armed forces, and its future reconstruction. EU measures in support of Ukraine include:

  • economic and financial assistance
  • reception of refugees
  • humanitarian aid
  • civil protection support
  • trade liberalisation measures
  • support for the Ukrainian army
  • support in the investigation and prosecution of war crimes

More information:

Remarks by European Council President Charles Michel following the 23rd EU-Ukraine summit on 12 October 2021

Association agreement

The association agreement is the main tool for bringing Ukraine and the EU closer together. It promotes:

  • deeper political ties
  • stronger economic links
  • the respect for common values

The deep and comprehensive free trade area (DCFTA) is the economic part of the agreement. It offers a framework for modernising Ukraine's economy and trade relations.

The association agreement entered into force on 1 September 2017.

Negotiations of the association agreement

On 11 July 2017, the Council adopted a decision to conclude the association agreement with Ukraine on behalf of the EU. This was the final step of the ratification process, allowing the full implementation of the agreement as of 1 September 2017. 

Negotiations with Ukraine were launched in 2007. The first political chapters were signed in March 2014. Following the presidential elections in Ukraine, the remaining chapters were signed on 27 June 2014, in the margins of the European Council.

Major parts of the agreement are already provisionally applied as of 1 September 2014. The provisional application of the deep and comprehensive free trade area started on 1 January 2016. 

Association council

On 15 December 2014, the EU and Ukraine held the first meeting of the association council, under the new association agreement.

During the second meeting, in 2015, the association council endorsed the updated association agenda. This agenda is instrumental in guiding the process of enhanced reforms and economic modernisation in Ukraine. It constitutes the main political tool for the implementation and monitoring of the association agreement.

The sixth EU-Ukraine association council took place on 28 January 2020. The EU and Ukraine reviewed the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, as well as relevant developments related to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The seventh EU-Ukraine association council took place on 11 February 2021. The EU and Ukraine discussed the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, with a focus on political reforms, rule of law, economic cooperation and trade, and developments related to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The eight EU-Ukraine association council took place on 5 September 2022, marking the first meeting since Ukraine was granted EU candidate status. The EU reaffirmed its continued support to Ukraine in the wake of Russia's war of aggression. The meeting's participants also discussed the implementation of the association agreement and EU-Ukraine cooperation.

The ninth EU-Ukraine association council took place on 20 March 2024. The EU and Ukraine exchanged views on the situation following Russia’s war of aggression and touched on wider global and regional issues. They also discussed the implementation of the Association Agreement since the start of the Russian war of aggression.

Visa dialogue

Visa facilitation and readmission agreements with Ukraine entered into force in 2008. The same year a visa dialogue was launched. 

On 20 April 2016, the European Commission presented a proposal to allow visa-free travel to the Schengen area for Ukrainian citizens. The Council and the European Parliament reached an agreement on the proposal on 28 February 2017.

On 11 May 2017, the Council adopted a regulation on visa liberalisation for Ukrainian citizens travelling to the EU for a period of stay of 90 days in any 180-day period.  

EU-Ukraine summits 

23nd EU-Ukraine summit, 12 October 2021

Meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, leaders reviewed achievements of the EU-Ukraine association agreement to date and discussed the next steps in its implementation. The joint response to COVID-19, Ukraine's reform efforts, and foreign and security policy were also high on the agenda. In the margins of the summit, the EU and Ukraine concluded a common aviation area agreement.

24th EU-Ukraine summit, 3 February 2023

Charles Michel, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, in Kyiv for the 24th summit between the European Union and Ukraine. This was the first EU-Ukraine summit since the start of the Russian aggression, and also since the European Council granted Ukraine the status of candidate country.

The leaders discussed:

  • Ukraine’s European path and the accession process
  • the EU’s response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine
  • Ukraine’s initiatives for just peace and accountability
  • cooperation on issues of reconstruction and relief and in the areas of energy and connectivity
  • global food security

The leaders issued a joint statement at the end of the summit.

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Last review: 23 March 2024