The enlargement of the European Union (EU) is one of the key elements of its foreign politics and thus is constantly researched. The enlargement aims not only to expand the sphere of influence of the EU but also to spread the political identity built based on the treaties, which includes democracy, the rule of law, and the fundamental rights of people. Hence, the EU has created accession criteria that candidates need to fulfil to become full members. This paper looks into the accession criteria and its adaptation in the process of Ukraine’s accession while separating the ’European’ from the ’other’ and how this plays a role in power asymmetries between the EU and Ukraine through Europeanisation. The ’What’s the problem represented to be?’ approach by Carol Bacchi helps to identify the key problematisations the European Commission has raised in Ukraine’s membership by defining the key points of ’European’ identity and Ukraine’s shortcomings concerning those. After highlighting the main points regarding this ’European’ political identity, Ukraine’s position as a semi-periphery to the EU is recognised. This leads to identifying the reproduction of the asymmetrical power relationship between the two, which originates from imperial history even though the EU’s membership is voluntary and thus does not reflect imperial coercion.