European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed linking future reconstruction aid to Ukraine with reforms, given the country’s desire to join the EU. “We will have to help finance the reconstruction of Ukraine anyway,” von der Leyen said on Thursday.
In that case, she thinks it is logical to say: “Yes to investments, but then immediately with the necessary reforms, for example against corruption or, for example, to establish the rule of law. Ukraine wants that too, I discussed it again this morning with President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyj,” von der Leyen said of the ZDF’s “maybrit illner” program.
Want to join soon
Ukraine wants to join the European Union at any cost, so there is a lot of motivation for the upcoming accession process. Ukraine has already applied to join the EU and would like to join as soon as possible.
Recently, however, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stepped on the brakes. Accession to the EU usually takes several years from the date of application.
Von der Leyen emphasized that the course of the procedure ultimately depends on how Ukraine develops. “It depends on Ukraine itself how it manages this reconstruction at the end of this war, which we will help with, but how it actually implements the reforms, how it gets rid of the oligarchs, how it makes the necessary economic reforms.”
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
