The EU’s enlargement momentum, fueled by Russia’s war against Ukraine, is wearing off. To make political conditionality work, the union must prioritize securing buy-in from candidate countries’ elites and civil society.

The steadfast support for European integration among Ukrainians is rooted in a perception of the EU as a community of shared democratic principles. The union should leverage its democratic appeal to solidify its role as a catalyst for change beyond its borders.

This week’s political conferences will highlight Ukraine’s threefold challenge of wartime resilience, recovery, and EU accession. Kyiv’s partners must adjust to thinking in all three dimensions simultaneously.

As the EU accelerates the process of adding new member states, it also needs to rethink the relationship between enlargement and democracy. The union should develop a “Copenhagen plus” approach to encourage more comprehensive democratic reforms in candidate countries.

Deploying troops to Ukraine, even for non-combat duties, entails risks most European countries are currently unwilling to take. The priority right now must be ramping up aid to Kyiv.

Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has triggered a seismic shift in European geopolitics, prompting governments to reassess policies from defense to energy.