The European Commission has made it clear that Ukraine must introduce legal recognition of same-sex couples if it wishes to advance toward full European Union membership. According to Ukrainian media reports published on February 20, 2026, Brussels raised the issue during discussions on Ukraine’s Rule of Law Roadmap, explicitly linking it to the country’s obligations under the “Fundamentals” negotiation cluster, particularly Chapter 23 on the judiciary and fundamental rights.
European officials pointed to a 2023 European Court of Human Rights ruling in the case of Maymulakhin and Markov v. Ukraine and stated they will closely monitor progress, especially as Ukraine prepares a new Civil Code. The Commission warned that provisions in the draft Civil Code will be assessed for their impact on LGBT rights during regular review meetings.
The demand has sparked controversy in Ukraine, where traditional family values remain strong. A revised draft Civil Code (No. 14394), registered in parliament on January 22, triggered heated debate after it initially included provisions allowing courts to approve marriage from age 14 in cases of pregnancy or childbirth.
Following public backlash, Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk announced the removal of that clause, insisting the general marriage age remains 18. This latest EU pressure reveals Brussels’ pattern of using accession talks to impose progressive social policies on candidate countries, overriding national traditions and democratic debate.
For Ukraine, already fighting for its sovereignty on the battlefield, the requirement to redefine marriage and family structures represents another external attempt to reshape its cultural identity in line with Western liberal ideology.Conservative voices across Europe see this as further evidence that EU membership increasingly comes at the cost of national values, religious heritage, and the natural family.