On July 22, the Transatlantic Dialogue Center (TDC) held a panel discussion, “Changing the Narrative: What the EU Gains from Ukraine’s Accession”, in partnership with EuroHUB. The event brought together government officials, policy analysts, and civil society experts to reframe the enlargement debate around the strategic opportunities and long-term benefits Ukraine’s membership offers the European Union.
During the event, TDC presented its latest research, “The EU’s Next Chapter: Economic, Political and Security Gains from Ukraine’s Accession”, which examines how Ukraine’s accession could strengthen the EU across defense, technology, agriculture, and energy.
Alla tavola rotonda sono intervenuti Rostyslav Ohryzko, vice segretario di Stato del Gabinetto dei ministri dell'Ucraina; Jarosław Timofiejuk, capo della Sezione politica della Delegazione dell'UE in Ucraina; Leonid Litra, ricercatore senior presso il New Europe Center e senior fellow presso ECFR; e Dmytro Shulga, direttore del programma «Europa e il mondo» presso l'International Renaissance Foundation. La discussione è stata moderata da Marianna Fakhurdinova, coordinatrice del Programma di partenariato UE–Ucraina presso TDC e fellow del CEPA.
The discussion centered on shifting the enlargement narrative from perceived costs to concrete, sector-specific gains. A recurring theme was that the accession debate is no longer framed solely around geostrategic necessity. European autonomy, defense industry integration, IT expertise, and CAP reform are now part of the conversation, with Ukraine’s membership positioned as a catalyst for long-overdue EU reforms.
Speakers argued that the cost of non-enlargement remains the real blind spot in current debates. Drawing on historical parallels from the 2004 enlargement concerns about the EU becoming “too big to act” to NATO’s 2008 Bucharest decision, the cost of inaction has repeatedly proven higher than the cost of integration.
The discussion also addressed the limits of transactional logic. Framing accession as “you take us, we defend” was identified as undermining the trust required for shared membership. Trust, panelists emphasized, must be built before accession, not after it.
Regarding communication, participants noted that there is untapped potential in how Ukraine communicates its reform and integration progress to EU member states. Croatia’s pre-accession playbook, sending expert delegations to present achievements directly in EU capitals, was cited as a model Ukraine should replicate.
A further challenge identified was the diversity of domestic political contexts across the EU: 27 distinct environments shape member-state positions, and a one-size-fits-all advocacy approach will not be effective. The recommendation that emerged from the discussion was clear: invite EU counterparts into an honest dialogue, address their concerns directly, and pair each concern with a concrete, sector-specific benefit.
Key takeaway: The discussion underscored that enlargement is not an act of charity toward Ukraine. It represents an investment by the EU in its own economic competitiveness, security resilience, and institutional renewal. The longer this decision is postponed, the higher the cost of inaction becomes.
TDC extends its gratitude to the speakers for a substantive and forward-looking discussion. A recording of the full event is available here.
Il rapporto è prodotto dal Transatlantic Dialogue Center con il sostegno dell’Askold and Dir Fund nell’ambito del progetto Strong Civil Society of Ukraine – a Driver towards Reforms and Democracy, attuato da ISAR Ednannia e finanziato da Norvegia e Svezia. I contenuti di questa pubblicazione sono di esclusiva responsabilità del Transatlantic Dialogue Center e non possono in alcun modo essere considerati espressione delle opinioni del Governo della Norvegia, del Governo della Svezia e di ISAR Ednannia.
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