Possible protection for Ukraine would be combined with access to certain opportunities and rights available to member states, said Bloomberg's sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
At the same time, the Community would give Ukraine a clear message about the schedule of individual stages of the formal procedure required before joining the Union.
Other solutions considered include continuing the procedures already undertaken regarding accession, or gradual granting of membership to the Community to Ukraine.
What steps is the European Union taking towards Ukraine?
When can Ukraine join the European Union?
What benefits can Ukraine obtain before joining the EU?
Why has Ukraine's accession process been slowed down?
The 20-point peace plan, which Kiev is working on mainly with Washington, assumes that Ukraine will join the EU in 2027, but it will be granted certain benefits resulting from EU membership even earlier, explains Bloomberg.
In response to the agency's question, a spokesman for the European Commission announced that Ukraine's accession to the EU is an element of the peace agreement.
Ukraine's path to the European Union
The EU is building ties with candidate countries even before their accession, and in the case of Ukraine, certain mechanisms are already being used as part of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements procedure, the spokesman added.
Kiev obtained candidate status for joining the Community in 2022, soon after Russia's attack on Ukraine, and received consent to start accession talks at the end of 2023. Formal negotiations started in 2024, but the process was slowed down by Hungary, which is blocking the opening of the so-called negotiation clusters – thematic groups concerning reforms that a candidate country must implement before joining the EU – recalls the American agency.
