The EU-Ukraine summit in Kiev ended Friday with promises of help “in every way imaginable”, but without a concrete time horizon for accession negotiations. At a press conference, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recalled that Ukraine had to meet several objectives in order to join the EU. She therefore does not like a tight schedule for membership. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had called for accession negotiations this year.
During a joint press conference with Von der Leyen and Charles Michel, President of the Council of the EU, Zelenskyj called for sanctions by the European Union to ensure that Russia cannot rebuild its military capabilities. “The EU will support you in every possible way for as long as necessary,” Michel promised at the end of the summit on Friday. The future of Ukraine lies in the European Union, the Belgian emphasized. The EU and Ukraine are one family. “Their fate is our fate.” The EU will step up pressure on Russia to end the war, Michel assured.
Ukraine must deliver on reform promises
The 27 EU member states agree that reform commitments must be fulfilled before accession negotiations with Ukraine. These include the selection process for constitutional judges and the fight against corruption – certainly at a high level. The EU is also demanding compliance with anti-money laundering standards and a law against the excessive influence of oligarchs.
Zelenskyy said after the summit that “not a single day will be lost” in the work towards rapprochement with the EU. The aim is to start accession negotiations as soon as possible. Ukraine has been a candidate country since last year.
Alert about Russian fighter jets
Friday’s EU-Ukraine summit in Kiev was overshadowed from the outset by a nationwide air raid alert in the morning. According to information from the Ukrainian capital, the air raid siren was activated due to the use of Russian fighter jets in the airspace over Belarus. From there, rockets are regularly fired towards Ukraine.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine is trying to hold onto the city of Bakhmut in the east of the country as long as possible. “We consider Bakhmut our fortress,” Zelensky said at the press conference with EU officials. The president renewed his demands for long-range weapons in connection with the defense of Bakhmut.
Baltic states for more speed in arms deliveries
Meanwhile, the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have demanded more speed in Western arms deliveries to Ukraine. “The coming months will be very difficult. They may even be decisive for this war,” Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said after a tripartite meeting in Tallinn on Friday. “That’s why we need to accelerate and increase our support to Ukraine, especially military aid.”
Estonian host Kaja Kallas also warned that aid to the country attacked by Russia should not come too late. “It should be clear to everyone by now that the price of aggression rises with every hesitation, with every delay.” Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins said: “We support Ukraine’s request for equipment that will help them win the war.” now lasts more than eleven months.
Source: Krone
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