EU, Ukraine Launch Task Force to Accelerate Accession Benchmarks

The EU and Ukraine have agreed to establish a dedicated joint Task Force to accelerate progress on interim accession benchmarks following the opening of two additional negotiating clusters, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos announced on Saturday, Oct. 17. Writing on X, Kos stated that Ukraine ranks among the candidate nations making the fastest progress toward EU membership.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The European enlargement chief confirmed that she reviewed upcoming integration steps during bilateral consultations with Ukraine’s Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi. “Ukraine is among the countries making most progress towards EU membership,” Kos stated. “Following the opening of two more negotiating clusters this week, I discussed the next steps with PM Koretskyi. We agreed to launch a joint Task Force to accelerate progress on the interim benchmarks and advance essential rule of law and anti-corruption reforms.” Kos emphasized that advancing the accession process requires political cohesion within Ukraine, pointing to recent legislative actions adopted by the Verkhovna Rada. “Our success will require unity and commitment from all involved Ukrainian partners,” Kos added. “We saw this earlier this week when the Ukrainian parliament adopted the new education laws on minorities.” Ukraine is among the countries making most progress towards EU membership.Following the opening of two more negotiating clusters this week, I discussed the next steps with PM @KoretskyiUA.We agreed to launch a joint Task Force to accelerate progress on the interim benchmarks…— Marta Kos (@MartaKosEU) October 16, 2026 Anti-graft statutory reforms and financial compliance The acceleration of accession benchmarks coincides with broader legislative efforts by Ukrainian authorities to dismantle organized financial crime networks and satisfy statutory obligations tied to international financial aid and macro-financial stability. Other Topics of Interest Zelensky: Starlink Still Not Fully Restored, Disrupting Drone Defense and Frontline Supplies Zelensky says Starlink restrictions are only partly lifted, leaving Ukrainian drone defenses and frontline supply operations vulnerable to Russian attacks. In mid-September, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed into law measure No. 10190, establishing criminal liability for the organizers, recruiters, and participants of fraudulent electronic communications centers and financial call scams. The statute introduced amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine prescribing prison sentences of up to 12 years with asset confiscation for individuals leading coordinated electronic fraud rings, alongside sentences of up to 10 years for active participants. The legislative drive followed high-profile investigations conducted by Ukraine’s anti-graft bodies – the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) – into illicit protection rackets linked to scam call centers, which prompted the resignation and subsequent parliamentary dismissal of Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko. Zelensky emphasized upon signing the measure that passing legislation governing international commitments remains essential to maintaining fiscal liquidity, closing the state budget deficit, and preserving national resilience as Ukraine enters its fifth winter of full-scale war. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.