The legal basis for EU – Ukraine relations is the Association Agreement, including its Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). Its objective is to strengthen the political association and economic integration of Ukraine with the EU. It brings Ukraine and the EU closer together, promoting deeper political ties, stronger economic and trade links and respect for common values as well as an enhanced cooperation in the field of Justice, Freedom and Security aiming at reinforcing rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The DCFTA part of the Agreement entered into provisional application from January 2016 while the Agreement entered fully into force on 1 September 2017.

Before granting Ukraine the status of candidate country to the EU membership, every year the EU reported on the state of implementation of the Association Agreement. Since June 2022, Ukraine has official EU candidate status. The Ukraine report, as part of the Enlargement package, is the document that with yearly frequency reflects Ukraine’s progress towards EU integration. The 2024 version is available at: https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/ukraine-report-2024_en

On 28 February 2022, Ukraine presented its application for EU membership. On 17 June, the European Commission presented its Opinion on Ukraine's applications, recommending to the Council that Ukraine should be given the perspective to become a member of the EU and granted candidate status, on the understanding that a certain number of steps are taken. On 23 June, the European Council took the historical decision to grant Ukraine the status of candidate country to EU membership. .  The European Council has invited the European Commission to report on Ukraine’s progress on its membership application in 2023. The European Commission has published annual country reports on Ukraine as part of its regular enlargement package in 2023 and 2024.

For more details on European Commission Opinion on the EU membership application submitted by Ukraine, see our factsheet.

This EU provides wide-ranging financial, diplomatic and military support to Ukraine and its people in the face of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression. 

In detail, the EU measures include emergency macro-financial assistance, budget support, grant emergency assistance, humanitarian aid, crisis response, welcoming people fleeing the war, civil protection support, trade liberalization measures, support in investigation and prosecution of war crimes.

Total EU support to Ukraine [as of 08 May 2025]

In total, EU support to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression amounts to almost EUR 147.9 billion. This includes:

• almost EUR 77 billion made available so far by Team Europe to support Ukraine’s overall economic, social, and financial resilience
• EUR 50.3 billion in military assistance measures
• up to EUR 17 billion to help Member States cater to the needs of Ukrainians in the EU
• EUR 3.6 billion from the proceeds of Russian immobilised assets

Support mobilised by Team Europe

The EU, its Member States, and its financial institutions have decided to take a 'Team Europe' approach in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This means that we are working together and pooling our resources and expertise in order to deliver a greater impact for Ukraine.

Since the start of the full-scale aggression, Team Europe has made available almost EUR 77 billion in support for Ukraine and its people.

This includes the EUR 31.2 billion Macro-financial support package for 2023 (MFA+) to keep the Ukrainian state afloat. In addition, the estimated total amount of EU military support for Ukraine – provided under the European Peace Facility and by Member States directly – is more than EUR 37 billion.

This brings the overall support to Ukraine to close to at least EUR 67 billion. For more details, follow the link to our EU Solidarity With Ukraine website.

Additionally, the EU launched an  EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM) in November 2022.

The EU and its Member States have mobilised EUR 50.3 billion in military support for Ukraine. This includes EUR 6.1 billion under the European Peace Facility to support the delivery of military equipment.

In addition, the EU Military Assistance Mission for Ukraine, funded with EUR 362 million, is tackling training needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and has trained 73,000 Ukrainian soldiers.

Furthermore, Ukrainian citizens seeking refuge in the EU are offered protection under the Temporary Protection Directive until at least March 2026 with close to 4 million registered for temporary protection.

On 12 May 2022 the Commission adopted an Action Plan to establish Solidarity Lanes to facilitate Ukraine’s agricultural exports and bilateral trade with the EU. Since the start of the war they have enabled the export of around 51 million tonnes of goods, including 25 million tonnes of grain and other foodstuffs, generating about EUR 22 billion of income for Ukrainian farmers and businesses.

Moreover, the EU has set up an extensive Ukraine support network under the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM). Through the UCPM, over 84 000 tonnes of in-kind assistance have been delivered to Ukraine, including over 1600 power generators and more than 1400 transformers. Also over EUR 157 million has been made available to cover the immediate needs in the energy sector under the Ukraine Energy Support Fund established by the Energy Community to which the EU is contributing to. In addition, 1 700 patients have been evacuated to receive medical care in European countries.

The strategic choice that Ukraine has made on the EU accession is also at the core of its reconstruction process. Build back better means building back in line with EU standards and core principles, based on the European Green Deal and supporting digital transformation. It also means focusing on a socially inclusive reconstruction, which will help Ukraine’s society to heal the traumas of the war. The political steer of the reconstruction will be with the Ukrainian Government. The EU will also play a leading role in the inclusive multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform agreed between Ukraine, the G7, International Financial Institutions and other key partners, building also on the results of the Lugano and Berlin international conferences on the reconstruction of Ukraine.

The EU is Ukraine's largest trading partner, accounting for 56% of its trade in 2023. Ukraine is the EU's 16th biggest trading partner, accounting for around 1.2% of the EU's total trade. Total trade between the EU and Ukraine reached almost €61.9 billion in 2023, more than doubling since the entry into force of the DCFTA in 2016.

To support Ukrainian economy, in June 2022, the EU has temporarily suspended all customs duties and trade defence measures on imports from Ukraine into the EU (“autonomous trade measures”, ATMs). Subsequently, ATMs were also adopted in 2023 and 2024. Together with the Solidarity Lanes this has helped maintaining the Ukrainian economy connected with the world. The EU is now stably Ukraine’s most important trading partner.

The revised Priority Action Plan (2023-2024) endorsed at the EU – UA summit will be the roadmap to accelerate and monitor the full implementation of the DCFTA, providing Ukraine with further access to the Single Market. It contains priority measures such as working towards integrating Ukraine into the EU’s free roaming area which will provide tangible benefits for citizens and business. It also includes a commitment to work on an Agreement which would allow goods in certain sectors to trade between Ukraine and the EU under the same conditions as between EU Member States (ACAA).