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.
The panel featured Rostyslav Ohryzko, Deputy State Secretary of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine; Jarosław Timofiejuk, Head of the Political Section of the EU Delegation to Ukraine; Leonid Litra, Senior Research Fellow at the New Europe Center and Senior Fellow at ECFR; and Dmytro Shulga, Director of the “Europe and the World” Program at the International Renaissance Foundation. The discussion was moderated by Маріанна Фахурдінова, Coordinator of the EU–Ukraine Partnership Program at TDC and CEPA Fellow.
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.
The report is produced by Transatlantic Dialogue Center with the support of the Askold and Dir Fund as a part of the Strong Civil Society of Ukraine – a Driver towards Reforms and Democracy project, implemented by ISAR Ednannia, funded by Norway and Sweden. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of Transatlantic Dialogue Center and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the Government of Norway, the Government of Sweden and ISAR Ednannia.