Kyiv – ESI speaks on the importance of a strong Ukraine in a united Europe

5 June 2026
The Panel. Photo: EPIK
The Panel. Photo: EPIK

ESI’s Gerald Knaus travelled to Kyiv as a Fellow of the European Policy Institute in Kyiv (EPIK). While there, he met senior policymakers and participated in the EPIK-organized panel “Ukraine’s Accession: Society at the Heart of Europe’s Next Enlargement”. Joining Gerald on the panel were Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement; Taras Kachka, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration; Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, responsible for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration; Oleksandr Korniienko, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The event was moderated by Katerina Mathernova, Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine.

On the panel, Gerald discussed ESI’s plan to welcome Ukraine into the EU single market should the country fulfil the necessary reforms for membership. In this way, Ukraine’s progress can be incentivized and the country further bound to Europe even if full EU membership is impeded for political reasons. He noted this plan has strong historical precedent, pointing out the case of Austria, which joined the single market before joining the European Union fully.

While in Kyiv, Gerald also met with senior policymakers and members of the local diplomatic corps, including the German Ambassador, to learn more about Ukraine’s defence of Europe from Russia’s full-scale invasion. He returned to Berlin convinced in Ukraine’s place in Europe, and the value that further EU integration will bring both for the Union and for Ukraine.

Gerald and Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office. Photo: ESI
Gerald and Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office. Photo: ESI