Ukraine's Zelensky names ex-EU integration chief Kachka as ambassador to Brussels
President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Taras Kachka, a former deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, as Ukraine's envoy to the European Union and Euratom. Kachka held the integration portfolio from July 2025 to July 2026, a period when Kyiv opened its first two EU accession negotiation clusters. He also worked with Brussels on rule-of-law reforms and conditions tied to a major EU loan package.
Kachka led Ukraine’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration portfolio from mid-July 2025 until mid-July 2026. During that period, Kyiv opened its first two EU accession negotiation clusters, covering core reforms such as rule of law and external relations. In December 2025, he and EU enlargement chief Marta Kos signed a letter listing ten priority rule-of-law measures for Ukraine to complete by the end of 2026.
He also negotiated with the European Commission over the schedule and substance of reforms linked to payments from a 90-billion-euro EU loan finalized in April. His Brussels posting was first signaled during a July government reshuffle, when Zelensky said Kachka and then-EU ambassador Vsevolod Chentsov would exchange roles.
Kachka’s Brussels role may shape how quickly EU-backed reforms and loan payments move, affecting Ukrainian public finances and citizens who depend on them. It could also influence Brussels’ confidence in Kyiv’s rule-of-law commitments, with consequences for civil society, businesses, and officials working on accession. Because parliamentary delays have put some installments at risk, his diplomatic efforts may matter for near-term economic stability, though outcomes will depend on many actors.