The European Commission's annual enlargement report has named Ukraine as one of the frontrunners for EU membership but warned that progress on the rule of law and anti-corruption measures is lagging, the Kyiv Independent reports. Ukraine was grouped with Moldova, Montenegro and Albania ahead of longer-standing candidates such as Serbia.
The Commission said it supports Kyiv's target of wrapping up membership negotiations before 2029, but that reforms would have to move faster to achieve it. The 109-page report found only limited progress on Ukraine's rule of law roadmap, said a ten-point reform plan agreed in December 2025 was mostly still outstanding, and noted that no laws had been passed to significantly strengthen the anti-corruption framework. Ukraine hopes to open the last two negotiating clusters in December.
Source: Kyiv Independent