A study by the Polish Economic Institute shows that Ukraine’s accession to the European Union will have a tangible positive impact not only for Ukraine itself but also for the entire Central and Eastern European region. Under an optimistic scenario, the Ukrainian economy could grow by 26% thanks to integration into supply chains, accelerated reforms, and financial support from the EU.
The countries that already have close economic ties with Ukraine stand to benefit the most from such an expansion of the common market. Poland, Lithuania, and Hungary can expect additional GDP growth; in particular, for Poland, this increase is estimated at 0.17%. Moreover, these very countries are becoming the main hubs for trade in goods that previously came to Ukraine from Russia and Belarus — primarily fuel and industrial products.
Especially telling is the growth of Polish exports to Ukraine: over the past three years, they have more than doubled, and Poland has secured its position as the largest importer of Ukrainian goods in the world and the second largest supplier to Ukraine after China. This is creating a new economic architecture in the region, where Central and Eastern Europe is gradually shaping its own powerful market with deep interdependencies.
According to Alona Lebedieva, owner of the Ukrainian industrial-investment group Aurum Group, these figures confirm that Ukraine’s European integration is not just a political or security choice. It is a pragmatic economic process that opens up new opportunities for the development of manufacturing, attracting investment, and strengthening the positions of Ukrainian companies within the single European space.
“We are already seeing how our market is adapting to EU standards and at the same time becoming increasingly attractive to partners from neighboring countries. For Ukrainian businesses, this means not only a chance for growth but also a responsibility to make the most of this prospect,” says Alona Lebedieva. “And for Central and Eastern Europe, Ukraine’s accession to the EU is an opportunity to cement their positions as a new powerful manufacturing and logistics hub within the Union.”
Thus, Ukraine’s European integration creates added value not only for our country but also for the entire region. It stimulates economic growth, modernizes infrastructure, enhances industrial cooperation, and strengthens energy and logistics security. As a result, Central and Eastern Europe has a chance to form a new center of gravity within the European Union, built on mutual benefit and deep partnership ties.