Comments on potential changeover come as Kiev places hopes on faster EU accession

Kiev is considering a switch from the US dollar to the euro as its reference currency, the head of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) said on Thursday. These comments come despite the recent signing of a comprehensive bilateral minerals agreement with the White House.

Kiev has repeatedly expressed its desire to join the EU. However, Ukraine's "immediate" accession has been consistently opposed by several member states. Hungary has voiced concerns over corruption, the treatment of ethnic minorities, and economic competition, particularly in agriculture.

Other EU nations, including Slovakia, France, and Germany, have also expressed reservations, emphasizing that Kiev must meet existing reform benchmarks before talks proceed.

According to NBU Governor Andrey Pyshny, potential EU accession has prompted the central bank to assess whether the national currency, the grivna, should be more closely tied to the euro instead of the dollar, according to Reuters. The top official also cited "a strengthening of the EU's role in ensuring our defense capabilities, greater volatility in global markets, and the probability of global trade fragmentation" as major reasons for the shift.

The central bank chief acknowledged that the move would be "complex and require high-quality, versatile preparation."

Earlier this week, European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen called for Ukraine's EU accession talks to be launched as early as this year. It was granted EU candidate status in 2022, a few months after the escalation with Moscow, but Brussels has not set a definitive timeline for the accession.

Von der Leyen suggested that faster EU accession could strengthen Ukraine's negotiating position with Russia and open the door to increased investment in the country's defense sector. She emphasized that Brussels is working to open the first cluster of accession talks and to open all clusters in 2025.

Pyshny said that closer ties with Europe and the normalization of economic conditions are expected to drive modest growth in the coming two years, with the GDP projected to rise by 3.7-3.9%. However, he noted that the overall economic outlook depends heavily on the course of the ongoing conflict.

In order to join the bloc, the EU has demanded that Ukraine implement a comprehensive set of governance reforms, fight rampant corruption and harmonize its legislation with EU law. Full membership also necessitates the unanimous approval of all EU nations.

Ukraine's parliament, meanwhile, has voted universally in favor of ratifying the minerals deal signed with the US, according to Reuters, in the hopes that it will secure future military assistance from Washington in the ongoing conflict.

During the Biden administration, the US provided more than $174 billion in aid to Kiev following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, including dozens of military packages. The approach has significantly shifted under President Donald Trump, who is pushing for direct negotiations between Moscow and Kiev and has insisted that assistance can only continue on terms that favor American interests.