Ukraine's EU Accession Team Gets a New Lead Negotiator: Taras Kachka Appointed.

27.03.2026 686

27.03.2026 686

Ukraine's EU Accession Team Gets a New Lead Negotiator: Taras Kachka Appointed

Ukraine Revamps Its Team for EU Membership Talks

According to Novyny.live: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed a new head for Ukraine's delegation negotiating accession to the European Union. Vice Prime Minister Taras Kachka will now lead the talks, following a presidential decree signed on February 24, 2023. This move is part of a broader reshuffle of the team responsible for steering Ukraine's path toward EU membership.

Olha Stefanishyna has been removed from the delegation as part of the update. The newly appointed lead negotiator, Taras Kachka, brings substantial expertise in economics and international relations. Born in 1979 in the Kirovohrad region, Kachka studied at the International Scientific and Technical University and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. His career includes leading the Department of International Economic Relations at the Ministry of Agrarian Policy from 2011, and he was appointed Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine in 2019. In July 2025, he assumed the role of Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine.

Members of the New Delegation

The current delegation also includes several other key officials:

Taras Vysotskyi — Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine
Serhii Derkach — Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine
Vitalii Kondrativ — Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine
Mariia Marchenko — Deputy Director General of the Directorate for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of the Office of the President of Ukraine
Serhii Nikolaichuk — First Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (by consent)

President Zelenskyy noted that

'work has begun on the details to determine a clear date for Ukraine's accession to the EU.'

However, as Ursula von der Leyen emphasized,

'it is currently impossible to talk about a specific date for Ukraine's accession to the EU.'

This indicates that, despite the delegation's active work, the question of accession remains open and requires further discussion and agreement. The EU's enlargement process is complex and involves meeting extensive legal and political criteria.

The changes to Ukraine's EU accession negotiation team reflect the country's priorities and strategy for European integration. The appointment of Taras Kachka as the chief negotiator may signal an intent by Ukrainian leadership to intensify efforts related to Euro-integration. At the same time, the statement from Ursula von der Leyen underscores that, despite dialogue and efforts from Ukraine, achieving this goal depends on many factors requiring detailed study and alignment with EU member states.