EU response to Zelenskiy: Member states are not ready to give Ukraine a concrete accession date
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, at a conference in Rome. Photo: Francesco Fotia / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
The head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, estimated on Sunday, at the Security Conference in Munich, that the EU states are not ready to offer Ukraine a concrete date for joining the EU bloc, a date that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskim insists on, reports EFE and Agerpres.
“My feeling is that member states are not ready to give a concrete date. We still have a lot of work to do,” said the EU diplomat, referring to the process of negotiating chapters on a multitude of policies before joining the EU, in which Ukraine is seeking preferential treatment so that it can join the EU as early as next year, skipping the normal stages.
“Of course, it is very important for Ukraine (EU accession) and it is fighting for it,” but “I think we have to move quickly in our decision-making process if we want to change it, because we cannot have candidates who do their duty and then tell them: 'You are not ready, wait!'” added Kallas. “The priority is to express the urgent need to show Ukraine that it is part of Europe,” she added.
The previous day, also at the Munich Security Conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky again asked European leaders to include a precise date for Ukraine's accession to the EU in the 20-point peace plan proposal discussed between the United States, Ukraine and the European Union, a plan that still needs to be negotiated with Russia. The latter made it clear that she would not oppose Ukraine's accession to the EU, her opposition being to NATO accession.
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But many EU governments believe that setting a date for Ukraine's accession now would be totally unrealistic, as EU accession is currently a merit-based process that advances only when there is progress in adapting a country's legislation to EU standards.
According to an idea analyzed by the European Commission, Ukraine – and possibly other candidates – would quickly join the EU and then gain “gradual access” to the right to vote in the European decision-making process, depending on the progress made in meeting the criteria for full membership.
Zelensky, announcement about Ukraine's accession to the EU: “We are talking about a concrete date” / Hungary's quick reaction
Chancellor Merz dashes Zelenskiy's optimism about Ukraine's speedy EU accession: “It's out of the question”
