The prospect of revamping the accession rules to grant "reversed" membership for Ukraine has been largely dismissed by member states.
European Union countries have largely rebuffed the idea of granting so-called "reversed" membership to Ukraine as part of the ongoing peace negotiations, fearing the reform would undermine the credibility of the accession process.
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The lack of appetite was laid bare on Wednesday evening during an informal dinner of ambassadors with the European Commission, several diplomats told Euronews.
"The idea behind that dinner was to bring back a certain degree of political realism," one said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Our priority is to firmly anchor Ukraine in Europe, but do so with feasible actions."
Now "we need other options, other modalities," the diplomat added.
Under the "reversed" model envisioned by the Commission, Ukraine would become a formal member of the EU but without access to the majority of associated benefits, such as voting rights, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and cohesion funds.
Those benefits would be acquired gradually over time depending on the progress made and the criteria met by Kyiv. In essence, the trajectory would be turned upside down.
The Commission never put the radical proposal on paper. Instead, its contours were floated with member states and leaked to the press.
But on Wednesday, ambassadors poured cold water on the concept, and the distinct absence of enthusiasm in the room suggested the notion had reached its end.
The feedback was widely expected, as capitals had already telegraphed their intention to oppose the revamp, which would fundamentally alter the nature of accession.
Another diplomat censured the Commission for building up hype and creating the "illusion" that enlargement can be an exclusively political, rather than merit-based.
Overshadowing the exchange – described as open, frank and friendly – was the reality that a peace deal remains distant, because Russia has yet to make a single concession at the negotiating table.
Diplomats insist that neither Washington nor Moscow can be permitted to dictate the pace of accession, which rests on the Commission and member states.
Doubts over 2027
Wednesday's dinner, however, was far from conclusive.
Ambassadors agreed that discussions need to continue in the coming months to find the right balance between Ukraine's aspirations to join the bloc and the imperative to maintain the stability of the union and the integrity of the accession process, which is structured around 35 complex chapters that can take years to be finalised.
Montenegro, the most advanced candidate country, began negotiations in June 2012.For Ukraine – the first country to apply for membership while at war – such a prolonged wait is neither acceptable nor sustainable.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pushing for a "clear date" to be written into a future peace agreement, with 2027 set as the target. A specific path to join the EU could help offset the pain of potential territorial concessions and make it easier to gather the necessary popular support in a membership referendum.
"It’s true that we want a fast track for membership," Zelenskyy said last week, warning that Moscow would seek to divide member states to thwart the necessary unanimity.
Standing by his side, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised Kyiv's "outstanding" speed of reforms, but cautioned against setting a date in stone.
"The date you set is your benchmark that you want to match. You know that from our side, dates by themselves are not possible," she said.
For diplomats, von der Leyen's remarks reflected her growing awareness of the reservations voiced privately by member states.
But the pushback has also played out in the open. Earlier this week, Rob Jetten, the new prime minister of the Netherlands, urged Brussels to be "careful" with enlargement.
"We are very open-minded to look into broader support for these (candidate) countries, but moving too fast is not the way to move forward," Jetten told reporters.
"I think, at the moment, it's not possible to set a date for enlargement with Ukraine, but it is possible to talk with them, and I will do that with President Zelenskyy, (about) how Europeans can support Ukraine in the important reforms that they have undertaken. But at this moment, it is too early to set the date."