Marta Kos
Marta Kos is a Polish-Slovenian diplomat and politician serving as European Commissioner for Enlargement in the European Commission under Ursula von der Leyen. Before her appointment to the Commission, she served as Slovenia's ambassador to Germany and held earlier posts in the Slovenian foreign service. She is a long-standing advocate for the EU enlargement process, including the accession of Ukraine and the Western Balkans.
-
European Commission Proposes €8.04 Billion for Ukraine Under Ukraine Facility
The European Commission has proposed allocating €8.04 billion to Ukraine under the Ukraine Facility, with an estimated net payment of about €7.8 billion after previously disbursed advance funding is deducted. The proposal covers partial disbursements for the fourth, seventh, eighth and ninth tranches and still requires approval from the Council of the EU, expected by the end of December.
-
EU Commission announces new working group on Ukraine's accession, to be led by Koretsky
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos announced ahead of the 15 October EU summit in Brussels that the European Commission plans to create a new working group within her services to support Ukraine on its path to EU membership. The working group is to be headed by Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky. Kos identified financing, military assistance, and sustaining Ukraine's resilience against Russian aggression as three priority areas, and did not specify the group's powers or start date.
-
EU enlargement commissioner outlines three priorities for preparing bloc for new members
EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said on 13 October that the European Union must prepare internally for new members, naming stronger democratic safeguards, more flexible decision-making, and gradual integration of candidate countries before accession as the three priorities. She said candidate countries will join the work of the European Centre for Democratic Resilience before membership, and called for transitional mechanisms to protect European farmers as Ukraine's agriculture integrates into the EU common market.
-
Kremlin endorses Trump's call for new Ukrainian president; European leaders rally behind Zelensky
The Kremlin publicly backed US President Donald Trump's statement that Ukraine should elect a new leader, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov citing Volodymyr Zelensky's alleged unwillingness to make difficult decisions to end the war. Zelensky responded by offering to hold elections if Russia agrees to a 60-day ceasefire and said Ukraine will defend itself against Russian aggression regardless of American pressure. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Foreign Minister and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly expressed solidarity with Zelensky ahead of the 12 October EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, where EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said wartime elections are constitutionally barred and that international pressure should be directed at Russia.
-
Ukraine's parliament adopts minority-education law demanded by Hungary, clearing path to two more EU accession clusters
On 12 October 2026, Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada adopted and President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law expanding educational rights for national minorities and indigenous peoples — the change Hungary had demanded in exchange for unblocking two EU accession negotiation clusters. Hungary's foreign minister confirmed Budapest will agree to opening clusters 2 "Internal Market" and 3 "Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth" at a Ukraine–EU intergovernmental conference planned for 13 October in Luxembourg, where the EU's Coreper had already signalled readiness to approve the negotiation positions.
-
Ukraine's finance minister tells Rada country is in liquidity crisis, blames $29.5bn shortfall in partner aid
Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko told the Verkhovna Rada on 12 October that Ukraine's state budget has fallen roughly 50 billion hryvnia short of planned revenues over nine months of 2026, with 39 billion hryvnia in payments deferred to year's end and capital expenditures blocked. He attributed the squeeze to a $29.5 billion shortfall in expected partner support tied to delayed reforms under IMF, EU and World Bank programs. Marchenko said military pay and social programs remain fully funded, but the Rada must now pass dozens of reform-related bills to unlock the rest.
-
Hungary lifts block, EU approves screening for Ukraine's clusters 2 and 3
On 7 October, Hungary ended a months-long block on Ukraine's progress in EU accession negotiations, with the EU Council's COELA working group approving screening results for clusters 2 ("Internal Market") and 3 ("Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth"). The same day, EU ambassadors at Coreper agreed to send letters to Ukraine and Moldova requesting their negotiating positions, clearing the procedural path toward a possible Intergovernmental Conference on 13 October at which the two clusters could be formally opened.
-
European Commission approves pre-enlargement reform package including special terms for Ukraine's agriculture
On 6 October the European Commission approved a package of proposals to prepare the EU for future enlargement, including the accession of Ukraine. The package moves toward qualified-majority voting in selected areas, introduces stronger safeguards against backsliding on rule-of-law standards, creates a 'gradual integration' track for four leading candidates, and proposes targeted mechanisms specifically for Ukraine's agricultural sector tied to the opening of Cluster 5. Roadmaps for Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro and Albania are due on 28 October, with EU leaders expected to discuss the package at the European Council meeting on 15–16 October.
-
Ukraine and Germany advance war risk insurance and 'Industrial Ramstein' cooperation in Kyiv talks
Ukrainian Economy Minister Oleksandr Kravchenko met German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche in Kyiv on 4 October 2026. The two ministers focused on an updated war risk insurance mechanism with payouts of up to $10 million and the joint 'Industrial Ramstein' industrial initiative, for which Germany is providing €30 million in start-up financing. Separately, Reiche said she pressed President Volodymyr Zelensky on anti-corruption reforms and the need for measurable results.
-
EU could open two new accession clusters for Ukraine and Moldova next week, commissioner says
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said on 5 October that the EU could open the next two accession-negotiation clusters — 'Internal Market' and 'Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth' — for Ukraine and Moldova as early as next week, at an intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg. The opening is conditional on Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada passing a national-minority education bill demanded by Hungary.
-
EU Commission proposes permanent post-accession limits on Ukraine's farm exports and CAP subsidies
The European Commission has adopted an enlargement-reform package proposing to significantly restrict Ukraine's access to the EU agricultural market and to Common Agricultural Policy subsidies even after it joins the bloc, citing concerns from Poland, France and Italy about competition from Ukrainian grain and oilseeds. The Commission also plans 'roadmaps' without fixed accession dates for the four most advanced candidates, including Ukraine, and will link EU funding to legal and anti-corruption reforms. Ukraine's agriculture minister said Kyiv is ready for a transition period with a clear end date but cannot accept permanent restrictions.
-
EU rejects Ukraine's request to front-load 2027 funding, urges reforms to unlock €34 billion in 2026
The European Union has turned down Ukraine's request to receive part of its 2027 financial support early, telling Kyiv instead to complete promised reforms that could unlock about €34 billion still available this year. Ukraine had asked the European Commission to front-load tranches from a €90 billion EU loan agreed in late 2025 to cover an estimated $27 billion defense funding gap. So far in 2026, Ukraine has received only €15.7 billion from the loan, with slow reform implementation cited as a key reason for the delay.
-
EU and Ukraine say 2026 budget and defence needs can be covered; Commission denies any financing gap
On 1 October 2026 the European Commission and Ukraine issued a joint statement saying they had identified the means to cover Ukraine's 2026 budget and defence needs and outlining the steps needed for timely disbursement. The next day Commission chief spokesperson Paula Pinho said the EU and Ukraine had jointly concluded there is no external financing gap for 2026, and the Commission disbursed a €2.9 billion tranche under the Ukraine Facility. The Financial Times reported that EU Commissioners formally declined Ukraine's request to front-load part of the 2027 loan, linking further payments to reforms.
-
Ukraine asks EU to use frozen Russian assets to cover $78 billion 2027 financing gap
Ukraine's Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko told a donor meeting in Brussels on 29 September that Ukraine needs roughly $78 billion (about €69 billion) in additional financing for 2027 and called on the European Union to use frozen Russian sovereign assets to cover the gap. EU officials and several member states received the request skeptically, with Belgium opposed to any new use of the assets and the European Commission insisting that the priority is disbursing the already agreed €90 billion loan, whose budget tranche is held up pending Ukrainian reforms.
-
EU Commission proposes 'gradual integration' for candidates, with priority roadmaps for Ukraine, Moldova, Albania, Montenegro
The European Commission has drafted a proposal offering EU candidate countries 'gradual integration' into the bloc's single market, including barrier-free trade and access to research programs, while their membership applications are still being processed. Priority 'roadmaps' aimed at accelerating accession are earmarked for Ukraine, Moldova, Albania, and Montenegro, with the economic benefits conditional on supporting EU foreign policy goals and preventing technology leakage to adversary states.
-
IMF estimates Ukraine's financing gap at $54 billion through 2029 as donors meet in Brussels
On September 29, Ukraine's donors gathered in Brussels to accelerate talks on further financial assistance, as IMF estimates put Ukraine's financing gap at about $54 billion through 2029. EU member states remain divided on whether to use roughly €210 billion in frozen Russian central-bank assets or issue new common debt, while the European Commission and IMF tie further assistance to Ukraine's implementation of a reform plan.
-
EU drafts individual membership roadmaps for Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro and Albania
The EU is preparing four individual accession "roadmaps" for Montenegro, Ukraine, Moldova and Albania that would set out indicative timelines for completing accession negotiations and for closing negotiating clusters, alongside a separate pre-enlargement policy review due on 6 October. Two senior EU officials described the plans to Politico, and a European Commission spokesperson confirmed the roadmaps would define the path to completing membership talks with a clear list of priorities, timelines and results. Seven other candidates are excluded from this round.
-
Ukraine suspends non-priority spending as PM warns of critical fiscal squeeze
Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers approved a decision on 28 September prioritizing state expenditures toward defense, pensions, social payments and public-sector salaries, while suspending non-critical construction, reconstruction, capital repairs and beautification projects until the end of the war. Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky said part of the pressure stems from delayed international financing, in part because Ukraine has not fulfilled some of its commitments to international partners. The government has identified about $7 billion through internal optimization against a reported $27 billion Ministry of Defense deficit.
-
Zelensky tells IMF's Georgieva in New York that Fund will help Ukraine secure part of 2027 financing
President Volodymyr Zelensky met IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York on September 22, and said the IMF will help Ukraine find part of the funds needed for its financial stability in 2027. Zelensky told Georgieva that the Verkhovna Rada had already passed some of the legislation required by partners and that the remaining laws would be adopted by year's end.
-
Norway to allocate 1 billion kroner through EU's Ukraine Facility, first non-EU contributor
Norway announced on September 17 that it will allocate 1 billion Norwegian kroner (approximately 90–92 million euros) through the EU's Ukraine Facility mechanism to support Ukraine's state budget and reforms in anti-corruption and energy. Norway becomes the first non-EU country to contribute to the mechanism. The announcement was made during European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos's visit to Norway.