EU leaders praise Ukraine’s “significant effort” in accession process | Abroad

Ukraine has been a candidate country since June. Although the country is at war with Russia, the government must implement a series of reforms before the green light can be given for the next step: the start of real accession negotiations. Kiev wants to keep the momentum going. “The aim is to start negotiations this year,” Zelensky confirmed after the summit.

In June, the Commission set out seven concrete steps, ranging from reforming the selection procedure for Constitutional Court judges, to limiting the “excessive” influence of the oligarchs in politics and economics, to strengthening the fight against corruption, in particular particularly at the highest level, and money laundering.

European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel expressed their admiration in Kiev on Friday for the progress that Kiev has already made, but they did not allow themselves to be pinned down to a precise timeline. The summit’s conclusions stated only that “Ukraine has reaffirmed its determination to meet the necessary requirements to start accession negotiations as soon as possible”.

Von der Leyen stressed at the joint press conference that the accession process is “a merit-based process” that is not bound by strict deadlines. The Commission will publish a comprehensive report on Ukraine’s progress in the autumn. Afterwards, it is up to the heads of state or government of the 27 member states to decide unanimously on the next steps.

The accession negotiations themselves are a long process. Candidate countries must not only meet the major political and economic conditions, but also transpose all European legislation into national legislation. Before the start of the summit, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal suggested several times that his country could become a member by 2025, but that seems unrealistic according to diplomatic sources.

In the meantime, von der Leyen and Michel Zelensky once again assured total European support. The Europeans want to tap the untapped potential of the free trade agreement with Kiev and further increase Ukraine’s access to the European single market. The suspension of import tariffs for imports from Ukraine will also remain in effect this year, according to von der Leyen, who pointed out that Ukraine transported a quarter of its GDP last year via the so-called ‘solidarity lanes’ that should allow exports from the country .

Since the start of the Russian invasion, the EU and member states have also provided almost €50 billion in military, humanitarian, budgetary and economic support. “We will be at your side to rebuild a modern, prosperous Ukraine firmly anchored in our common European path,” Michel assured. “There can be no safe and independent Europe without a safe and independent Ukraine. Ukraine is the European Union and the European Union is Ukraine”.

The fact that Ukraine is at war was underlined when the air raid alarm sounded in Kiev on Friday morning before the start of the summit. But according to von der Leyen, it showed once again that the Kremlin is suffering a “major strategic failure”. “The mere fact that we are here, during the war, building Ukraine’s future in the European Union is worth a thousand words.”

Michel, von der Leyen and Zelensky also discussed the tenth package of sanctions against Russia. That is currently being prepared and should be completed by the first anniversary of the invasion on February 24, Von der Leyen already said on Thursday. The package, according to the Commission President, will have “a volume of around EUR 10 billion” and will refocus on technology that Russia should no longer be able to use for its “war machine”. For example, parts for drones are being looked at.

Zelensky stressed that it is in Ukraine’s best interest to prevent Russia from increasing its defense production again. Nevertheless, Kiev notes that the sanctions are being circumvented. “Frankly, sometimes I am really offended by the actions of the countries that are our partners, but financial partners of Russia in this war. It is very important to give a very clear message to these countries at the level of the EU and the US It is so important to stop the recovery of this production,” the president said.

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