Ukraine and Moldova are set to join the EU’s “Roaming Like at Home” system starting 1 January 2026, marking a symbolic move toward full EU integration. The European Union had officially granted both countries the EU candidate status in June 2022, months after Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

RFE/RL reports that Ukraine and Moldova will become part of the EU’s internal mobile market under the “Roaming Like at Home” (RLAH) system. This marks the first time Brussels has invited candidate countries to join this aspect of the EU internal market, according to RFE/RL.

The system enables their citizens to use mobile services across EU countries—and in several non-EU states including Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway—at domestic rates. The scheme, launched by the EU in 2017, is already in effect in the European Economic Area and some non-EU states where operators voluntarily comply with EU law, such as the UK.

EU diplomats described this measure as among the easiest to agree upon compared to other Ukraine-related actions, like lifting trade barriers.

Transition period and final decision

Ukraine is expected to become a permanent member of the RLAH system following a vote by EU member states scheduled for July. The transitional period will end on 1 January 2026. In July, the final extension of the temporary roaming regime will also be agreed.

In Ukraine, coverage may be limited in Russian-occupied parts of Donbas and in Crimea, which is now fully served by Russian telecom networks.

Legislative progress and compliance

Ukraine and Moldova’s integration is made possible by provisions in their association agreements with the EU. These agreements include a “mutual internal market regime” for services like mobile roaming, allowing full participation once EU laws are implemented and verified.

Both Ukraine and Moldova have worked to align national laws with EU telecommunications standards. Ukraine finalized its legislative steps in April 2025, with the European Commission receiving final confirmation on 6 June. Moldova remains a few weeks behind, but the Commission expects to receive full confirmation by the end of June.

The laws cover both technical and practical aspects such as pricing models, network specifications, and transmitter infrastructure.

Poland’s president-elect Karol Nawrocki said he opposes Ukraine’s European Union membership at this time, according to an interview with Hungarian publication Mandiner.

“Currently, I am against Ukraine’s entry into the European Union,” Nawrocki said when asked about Brussels’ push for accelerated Ukrainian accession procedures.

The president was elected late in May, securing 50.89% of votes in the second round against Rafał Trzaskowski’s 49.11%.

He emphasized in the interview with Mandiner that Poland must support Ukraine strategically while protecting its own interests. Nawrocki argued that Ukraine must understand “other countries, including Poland and Hungary and other European countries, also have their own interests.”

He cited specific Polish concerns, including the exhumation of Volhynian massacre victims and protecting Polish agriculture from what he termed “unfair competition” with Ukraine. “During the campaign I did not agree, and as president I will not agree to unfair competition with Ukraine against Polish agriculture or the logistics sector,” Nawrocki said.

Despite his EU stance, Nawrocki described Russia as the region’s primary threat. “For me as an anti-communist, and in my opinion for the entire region, the greatest threat is the Russian Federation. This is a post-imperial, neo-communist state headed by Vladimir Putin, a war criminal,” he said.

The president-elect revealed personal stakes in the war, noting Russian authorities pursue him with criminal charges. “I am very critical of the Russian Federation, where, incidentally, they persecute me as president of the Institute of National Memory. Five years in prison camp threatens me,” according to Mandiner.

Nawrocki acknowledged Poland’s leading role in supporting Ukraine under outgoing President Andrzej Duda. However, he argued this support justifies Poland’s right to protect its interests. He called for “compromise and consensus” on contentious issues between the neighboring countries.

The president-elect, who takes office 6 August, previously said in January he saw Ukraine “neither in the EU nor in NATO.” Ukraine’s foreign ministry then rejected those comments as “biased and manipulative.”

Nawrocki’s position contrasts with the current government led by Donald Tusk, whom he criticized throughout the campaign. The president-elect promised to restore “balance” to Polish politics and serve as a voice for citizens whose concerns “are not heard in Donald Tusk’s Poland.”

The parliamentary foreign affairs committees of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania issued a joint statement on June 6, affirming their firm support for Ukraine both in its defense against Russia and in its pursuit of EU and NATO membership.

Following their meeting in Lithuania on June 6, the Baltic states reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine’s EU integration, stating their goal of concluding accession talks and welcoming Ukraine as a full EU member by Jan. 1, 2030.

Ukraine applied for EU membership in 2022 and was granted candidate status within months. Accession talks began in June 2024, with European leaders setting 2030 as a target for Ukraine's potential accession.

Despite broad EU support for Ukraine's accession, Hungary remains a major obstacle. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced on March 7 that his government would conduct an opinion survey on Ukraine's potential EU membership.

In their statement, the Baltic states also urged the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague to take "concrete political steps" toward Ukraine’s membership in the alliance. They argued that Ukraine's NATO accession would “consolidate a just and lasting peace not only in Ukraine but also in all of Europe" and help uphold the rules-based international order globally.

"Ukraine’s NATO membership would provide a more effective and enduring framework for safeguarding Euro-Atlantic security," the statement reads.

Ukraine applied for NATO membership in September 2022, months after the outbreak of the full-scale war. The country has not received a formal invitation, as the 32 members have not reached a consensus.

The statement also reaffirmed the Baltic countries’ pledge to support Ukraine “until its full victory,” and welcomed expanding defense cooperation between Ukraine and like-minded partners. It encouraged inviting Ukraine to join the U.K.-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), calling it a meaningful step toward deeper regional security integration.

"We call upon the Foreign Affairs Committees of other national parliaments, international parliamentary assemblies, governments, and responsible institutions to endorse this statement and to adopt corresponding actions that would ensure continued and determined support for Ukraine’s victory, reconstruction, and full integration into the Euro-Atlantic community," the statement read.

Nordics, Baltics urge concrete steps toward Ukraine’s EU membership

In a joint letter, the foreign ministers of Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia called on Brussels to put forward “concrete proposals on how to decisively advance Ukraine’s accession process.”

The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy