Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has spoken sharply about Ukraine’s prospects for membership in the European Union. In his view, under the current accession system and the requirement to go through all standard procedures, Ukraine will not be able to become an EU member, so Brussels needs to change its entire approach to enlargement.
Rama made the remarks in an interview with WELT.
The conversation focused on the future enlargement of the European Union and the prospects of Albania itself, which is seeking to join the bloc.
When the journalist asked Rama whether the EU should overlook the problems of candidate countries for geopolitical reasons, the Albanian prime minister replied that the requirements could, on the contrary, be even stricter. However, in his view, the integration mechanism itself needs to change.
It was then that he cited Ukraine as an example.
“Look at Ukraine. What they are promising it is a lie,” Rama said.
He added that, in his view, Ukraine would “never be admitted” through the standard accession path requiring all criteria to be met, and said that “everyone knows this.”
Rama proposed a different path for Ukraine
According to the Albanian prime minister, a more realistic option would be to allow Ukraine to participate in the work of European structures already now, and later grant it full membership depending on the fulfilment of specific requirements.
Rama is effectively advocating a model under which a candidate country would gradually integrate into the EU even before completing the entire traditional accession process.
At the same time, he is not calling for requirements for candidate countries to be abandoned. On the contrary, the Albanian prime minister said that the European Union could demand even more “homework” from them, but that countries should already feel part of the European system during that process.
His remarks are a political assessment of Ukraine’s prospects, not the official position of the European Union. Formally, Ukraine’s accession negotiations are continuing: in June 2026, the EU opened the “Fundamentals” cluster, and in July the “External Relations” cluster. Two of the six negotiating clusters have now been opened, while the EU defines the process as one that depends on the candidate country meeting the required criteria.
“Europe needs Helmut Kohl’s courage”
Rama drew a parallel with German reunification after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
According to him, in 1989 Chancellor Helmut Kohl did not tell East Germany that it first had to go through dozens of negotiating chapters, but proceeded from the idea that the country had to reunify.
The Albanian prime minister believes that modern Europe lacks a similar ability to make swift strategic decisions.
He also called for abolishing the veto power of individual EU countries. According to Rama, enlargement does indeed create a risk that new members could block decisions by the entire union, but the answer to that problem should be to change the decision-making rules.
In his view, a situation in which a single country can halt the entire European Union makes it harder for Europe to compete with the United States, China and India.
Rama compares the European Union to the “Titanic”
In the interview, the Albanian prime minister was broadly critical of the EU’s current state, although he stressed that his country wants to become a member of the union as soon as possible.
Rama called the EU one of the most important political projects in history, one that has allowed several generations of Europeans to grow up without war.
At the same time, he compared the European Union to the “Titanic” heading toward an iceberg if it fails to change.
In his view, Europe is lagging behind other major players in innovation and competitiveness while also struggling to make bold strategic decisions.
Rama calls Russia a real threat
The prime minister also spoke about the geopolitical situation in the Western Balkans.
According to him, the region’s incomplete integration creates a “hole” inside Europe that outside forces could exploit.
Rama called Russia a real threat and compared its influence to a “virus.” Among other risks, he mentioned radical Islam and organised crime.
At the same time, the Albanian prime minister rejected the idea that China and Turkey pose a similar danger to the Western Balkans. Regarding China, he said that Europe should not isolate itself but should retain the ability to engage with all major global players.
Albania itself is seeking EU membership
Albania remains one of the Western Balkan countries seeking membership in the European Union. The interview mentions 2030 as a possible indicative date for further enlargement.
Rama said that the desire to join the EU is shared not only by his government but also by Albanian society.
At the same time, the country continues to fight corruption. Investigations against senior officials are ongoing in Albania, while the work of anti-corruption bodies is supported by the EU and the United States.
Rama acknowledged that the process is painful, but said that today, unlike in the past, the system in Albania is already “fighting corruption.”
According to him, he considers the ability to hold senior officials accountable to be proof of change in the country.
However, the Albanian prime minister’s main message on EU enlargement is that the old model, under which countries remain candidates for years or even decades outside key European structures, is, in his view, no longer sufficient.
Rama cited Ukraine as the clearest example: instead of a long wait for full membership, he proposes integrating it into the European system more quickly, while making the final scope of rights dependent on meeting the necessary criteria.
