Senior Advisor Arndt Freytag von Loringhoven, a former ambassador, analyzes the central European issue of the year in the journal *Osteuropa*: How can the contradiction between security policy urgency and the high hurdles of the EU enlargement process be resolved? The conclusion is clear: “Business as usual” is out of the question. Ukraine simply does not have the time for a traditional accession process, which can take ten years or more.

Freytag von Loringhoven evaluates three scenarios, ranging from “reverse accession” to “associated membership,” and demonstrates why a political commitment to apply Article 42.7 of the EU Treaty as part of a peace agreement could serve as the decisive lever—providing a substantial security guarantee long before full membership.

You can find the full article here.

For those who wish to follow the Ukraine debate in all its depth: The double issue “Stress Test – Ukraine in Times of War” (Osteuropa 11–12/2025) offers, across 336 pages, one of the most comprehensive German-language analyses of war, society, the economy, and security in Ukraine.