Ukraine has made almost no progress in fulfilling its obligations for EU membership in the first months of 2026. According to an independent audit, the level of compliance is only 9 out of 100 points. This was stated by the 'Iron MP' Yaroslav Zheleznyak.
Ukraine's EU membership: audit reveals reform failure
It concerns the so-called reform plan in the field of anti-corruption and the rule of law, agreed upon in December 2025 between the Ukrainian government and European partners.
The document contains 10 key steps that the country was supposed to complete during 2026. However, in the first quarter, experts estimated the result to be critically low - only 9%.
The assessments were conducted by independent organizations, among them:
- Center for 'New Europe';
- Transparency International Ukraine;
- Center for Anti-Corruption;
- other analytical structures.
In five areas, a complete lack of progress was recorded. The worst situation is in the area of prosecutor reform, where no practical steps have been made.
Ukraine's Eurointegration 2026: what risks arise
Among the key problems highlighted by experts:
- absence of changes in the selection and appointment of prosecutors;
- stagnation of the anti-corruption strategy;
- lack of access for anti-corruption bodies to independent expertise;
- delays in judicial reform.
Partial progress has been recorded only in two areas - in particular, regarding judges' integrity declarations and changes to the Criminal Procedural Code. However, even here, it concerns only projects or statements, not adopted decisions.
Experts emphasize that explanations for delays through parliament are not accepted by European partners, as most initiatives have not even been submitted for consideration.
According to Yaroslav Zheleznyak, such dynamics may jeopardize the country's European prospects.
In December 2025, Ukraine agreed on a reform plan with the European Commission to restore trust after anti-corruption scandals. The fulfillment of these conditions is crucial for further movement towards EU membership. Lack of progress may lead to a loss of support and a slowdown in Eurointegration.
It should be noted that Iceland plans to hold a referendum on resuming negotiations for EU membership in the coming months. The country's Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir confirmed these intentions, stating that a specific date for voting has not yet been determined.