KIEV, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine is seeking to fully integrate itself into the European Union's (EU's) energy market next year, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported Friday, citing a senior official.

"In 2027, we will be fully integrated into the EU energy market, even if we are not yet formally a member of the Union," said Taras Kachka, deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

Ukraine's parliament is currently preparing a bill on the final stage of the integration, with a vote expected next month, Kachka said.

In July 2025, Ukrainian lawmakers adopted a draft law as a basis, envisaging the coupling of electricity markets between Ukraine and the EU, simplified conditions for electricity trade, and access to EU energy reserves, among other measures.

Ukraine's electricity grid was synchronized with the European network of electricity transmission system operators (ENTSO-E) in 2022. ■