Could EU membership for Ukraine be a helpful piece of a peace deal with Russia?

On February 28, 2022, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, while besieged in Kyiv by Russian forces, signed Ukraine’s appeal to the European Union, urgently requesting admission of Ukraine to the EU “under the accelerated procedure.”

On the same day, an EU representative, on condition of anonymity, said that, as a rule, after receiving such a request, the European Commission provides its opinion in 15 to 18 months. However, the representative said, “it could be longer and much faster, given the political necessity.” That said, one of the reasons why this is especially important for Zelensky today may be that such an appeal could potentially be used in discussions with Russia to find a way out of the conflict. Subsequent reports suggested that European Union leaders may discuss the possibility of Ukraine’s membership at an informal summit in March.