Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze: Ukraine Can Become a Strong and Influential Member of the European Community and Contribute Its Unique Experience to the European Union
24 March 2026, 15:44
Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Chair of the Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the European Union, emphasised this during the discussion “EU, Ukraine, Croatia — From Enlargement to Democratic Resilience: The Role of Parliaments and Cooperation,” organised by the European Parliament Office in Zagreb.
Ivanna Klympush-Tsyntsadze noted that a full-scale russian war against Ukraine has been continuing not for four, but almost for 13 years. Ukraine's European integration began right after the Revolution of Dignity, when the Association Agreement with the EU was signed. "Therefore, when we applied for candidate status - we already had a great deal to demonstrate to the EU in terms of what had been achieved," said the Committee Chair.
Ivanna Klympush-Tsнntsadze thanked the European Union for its support, in particular for the decisions taken that enable Ukraine to make progress in the negotiation process, despite the existing political obstacles. “We are grateful to the EU for finding a way, despite Hungary’s veto, to convey to Ukraine the negotiating positions on all six clusters. This enables the Ukrainian government to prepare a National Programme for the adaptation of legislation to EU law. We expect the government to present this programme to parliament. And on this basis, we will be able to demonstrate clear results that will be felt by both our European partners and Ukrainians — showing how Ukraine is changing and transforming,” said the Committee Chair.
She is convinced that the priority at this stage should be efforts centred on the requirements of the ‘Fundamentals’ cluster. This concerns anti-corruption measures, the rule of law and the functioning of democratic institutions. “It is particularly important to uphold these principles during martial law. Because the restrictions it imposes create a temptation to postpone certain democratic reforms, but I am convinced that we must not allow this to happen,” emphasised Ivanna Klympush-Tsyntsadze.
The Chair of the Committee is convinced that EU enlargement is important not only for Ukraine, but also for the European Union itself and other candidate countries. She noted that Ukraine is actively working with partners, in particular parliamentarians in European countries through the COSAC platform, in bilateral formats, and within the United4Ukraine network, explaining to partners across the democratic world the importance and mutual benefits of supporting Ukraine and its European and Euro-Atlantic integration. The Chair of the Committee is convinced that Ukraine can become a strong, influential member of the European community and bring its unique experience to the EU, particularly in the field of defence and security.
Ivanna Klympush-Tsyntsadze also noted that support for European integration among Ukrainians remains high, despite the war. Therefore, in her view, it is important to maintain honest and open communication with the public regarding the scope of the tasks involved, as well as realistic timelines for full membership of the European Union.