Ukraine cannot join the European Union for the time being. That is what Frans Timmermans says in the L1 program Evening Guests Europe.
A strategic cooperation with Ukraine is a short-term option, according to the Vice-President of the European Commission.
Strategic Partnership
Timmermans makes his statements on the day that the summit of European heads of government starts in Versailles. Ukraine applied for membership of the Union last week, on which the committee must issue an opinion. Then it comes back to the heads of government, who as the European Council have to issue a unanimous opinion on it.
“The process of joining the European Union is a very complicated process that takes a lot of time,” said the Vice-President of the European Commission. “What we can do much faster is to tie Ukraine into a number of developments in Europe. For example, the energy change. If we want to get rid of Russian gas, we will have to have alternatives. For example, biogas. Ukraine is very well able to produce biogas.” In this way we can set up a strategic cooperation with Ukraine.”
According to Timmermans, Russia is rapidly becoming a pariah in the international community. “The sanctions we have introduced hurt a lot. They are going after North Korea. But a lot of Russians are linked with the rest of Europe and the rest of the world. My hope is that the people around him will make him a correction Putin himself will never step back. He never has and he will not now. But I hope others will force him.”
Burger Summit Maastricht
The crisis in Ukraine exposes the weaknesses in European foreign policy. It is precisely on this subject that 200 European citizens met in the Maastricht MECC in February. This citizens’ summit focused on the future of the European Union. The recommendations of the citizens were so firm that they were hardly taken seriously by many forums.
Due to the developments in Ukraine, the main recommendations suddenly have the wind in their sails. The condition of unanimity in foreign policy is under serious attack. “We need to be more decisive in European foreign policy. That is why the veto must be removed. But migration policy in particular must change. In 2015 and 2016 we were unable to come up with a European migration policy because a number of countries refused to do so. the countries that are currently calling on the solidarity of others because they are being overrun. We must show Poland and Hungary and the Czech Republic that we are not letting them suffocate. We are doing it together. Now is the time to take a step after the crisis joint asylum and migration policy.”
nuclear power plants
Due to the crisis in Ukraine, gas and oil prices have risen enormously. It is precisely the dependence on Russia that confirms the need to use less gas and oil in the long term. A trend that had already started under pressure from the climate goals. In November CDA MEP Esther de Lange suggested that nuclear energy should remain in the picture as a replacement for fossil fuels.
The Province of Limburg decided to investigate a nuclear power plant. “I hope that everyone will deal with this issue very rationally,” says Frans Timmermans. “The best way to quickly find replacements for that Russian gas is biogas. And switch to sustainable energy, to solar panels and wind turbines at sea. Is it an alternative to keep the German nuclear power stations running longer? The German minister Habeck has said that there are no more taboos. So Germany will consider that kind of thing. Of course, we are all forced to respond to this crisis. If we run out of energy, we disrupt our society. Then we are weaker against Putin. So you always have to find that balance between sufficient energy and phasing out Russian energy sources as quickly as possible.”