It was a real shock when Ukraine was voted, together with Poland, as the host country of the Euro 2012 in 2007: the championship could really take place in this Eastern European country, a former Soviet state, without of good infrastructure and efficient administration? However, the country has begun preparations for the biggest sporting event ever staged. Only the future can tell whether the transformation will have been successful, but the assignment was not entirely accidental, as Ukraine has been described as a “leader” in Europeanisation, compared to the other Eastern Partnership countries. It is obvious that the country's proximity to the EU plays an important role in this. The high mobility of the population is certainly another factor. But perhaps it is the complex relationship with Moscow that has pushed the country to explore other options. This essay will address the question of whether the EU should grant Ukraine potential candidate status, as it has never explicitly done so. In testing the hypothesis that this is the case, it will first assess whether there is a basis for cooperation between the two political systems. Secondly, the current state of the agreements will be mentioned. Third, it will analyze the criticisms leveled at these agreements. Fourth, it will set out the counterarguments to this criticism.1. The basis for cooperationa. The prospect of the EU-Ukraine, after the “Eastern” enlargements, as well as after the Orange Revolution, has rightly captured the interest of the EU. First, with a population of over forty million, Ukraine is the largest non-Muslim European country (if we ignore Russia) still open to enlargement. It can therefore increase the size of the EU market... middle of paper... riticism in its approach. It would be too weak, unfocused and contested nationally. Most surprising is his reluctance to offer the prospect of membership, leaving Ukrainians disappointed. However, there are many reasons to believe that this criticism is misplaced, discrediting the assumption that the EU should grant potential candidate status. Not only does the EU already have too many potential candidates, but it has also shown an ever-increasing interest in Ukraine, which, in the long term, will certainly come to full membership. The main argument, however, is that the problems that are said not to be solved because of this refusal are the very reason for the EU's reluctance. Therefore, Ukraine should transform itself even more than it has promisingly done in recent years. The EU does not need to wake up the giant; eventually, it should wake up on its own.