Von der Leyen pushes for Ukraine EU accession as Russia derails talks

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen insisted Ukraine's accession to the European Union is a key component of the country's future security guarantees after holding talks with European leaders to debrief peace talks on Tuesday.

Von der Leyen said that accession to the 27-member bloc, which Ukraine aspires to join, represents "a key security guarantee in its own right," in a social media post following a call within the Berlin Format, which includes the leaders of Germany, France, and Poland, among others.

"Ultimately, the prosperity of a free Ukrainian state lies in the accession to the EU," she said. "Accession doesn't only benefit countries that join; as the successive waves of enlargement show, the show of Europe benefits."

Her comments follow a week of high-stakes diplomacy between US, Ukrainian and European officials. After a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump, his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy said security guarantees between the three are "almost agreed".

Accession to the EU is seen as a critical component, but one that comes with multiple challenges for the bloc. Joining the EU requires significant reforms and must be unanimously approved by all 27 leaders.

For the Commission, Ukraine's accession represents a delicate balancing between implementing a merit-based process equal for all candidate countries while acknowledging the extraordinary situation of the country with peace talks ongoing.

Ukraine is also facing a veto from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has repeatedly argued that Kyiv does not meet the criteria to join the EU, instead suggesting a close partnership at best. This year, his veto has blocked any progress on Ukraine's accession negotiations, including through the technical cluster process.

The European Commission argues that Ukraine is technically ready to advance in the process. Frustration with the slow pace has prompted debate on unanimity rules for accession, but proposals for legal tweaks have not advanced either.

After the call among the Berlin Group on Tuesday morning, Dutch caretaker Prime Minister Dick Schoof said the "Coalition of the Willing," a group of countries supportive of Ukraine led by France, the UK and broader European security establishment, will convene next week.

After a bilateral meeting in Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, Trump and Zelenskyy hailed progress towards a US-led peace deal.

However, talks were delayed after Russia claimed Ukraine had attacked a personal residence of President Vladimir Putin in a further escalation of hostilities.

Kyiv has denied any attack on Putin's residence, calling it a "total fabrication" designed to hinder peace efforts.

Trump told reporters on Monday that he was informed by Putin about the alleged incident.

"This is not good, I don't like it," the US president said. "This is not the right time to do any of that. One thing is to be offensive, another thing is to attack his house."

The US president did not say whether US intelligence agencies had any information related to the alleged attack, instead citing the Russian president.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday that Russia would retaliate after the alleged attack. Over the weekend, Russia pounded Ukraine with another round of drone and missile strikes, mainly targeting the capital of Kyiv.

European leaders appeared less credulous about the Russian claims.

In a post on social media after hosting a conference call with European leaders on Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the peace process is moving forward, but it will "require honest and transparency from everyone - including Russia."

After speaking with Zelenskyy, Putin and European leaders, the US president sounded optimistic about the prospects of a peace settlement, arguing that it is in the interest of both parties to end the war.

Still, the US president said the question of possible territorial concessions by Kyiv — including Russia's demands to gain control over the entirety of the Ukrainian eastern region of the Donbas — remains unresolved and is a "very tough" issue.

Trump also said Europeans would have to shoulder, for the most part, the effort around security guarantees, but added that the US would also help.

Separately, Zelenskyy told reporters in a WhatsApp briefing on Monday that US security guarantees would be set for 15 years, but Kyiv is seeking to extend them.

The Ukrainian president pointed instead to a period of 30 to 50 years, arguing that Russia had attacked his country for more than a decade by now, so going longer would represent a game-changer for Ukraine. "It would be a historic decision," he said.