EU countries have agreed in principle to start accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. The Belgian Council Presidency announced this in Brussels on Friday. The decision must be formally adopted at an EU ministerial meeting next week.
The EU countries actually wanted to discuss a fourteenth package of sanctions against Russia at the meeting of their permanent representatives next Friday – but Germany had previously expressed concerns about the plans, which have not yet been addressed.
The current agreement to start accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova is an important signal – especially towards Kiev. The peace conference in Ukraine starts in Switzerland on Saturday. The aim of the summit is to gain the broadest possible international support for the Ukrainian peace plan with a complete withdrawal of Russia from Ukrainian territory.
All requirements met
The European Commission announced a week ago that it considered that all requirements for the start of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova had been met. These included measures to combat corruption, better protect national minorities and limit the political influence of oligarchs.
The start of accession talks with Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia, and its small neighboring state Moldova had already been decided in principle during an EU summit in December. At the same time, however, it was agreed that all reform requirements must be met before negotiations can begin. The condition was also that all EU countries had agreed to the so-called negotiating framework, which lays down guidelines and principles for the accession negotiations.
Ukraine cannot become a member before the end of the war
For the people of Ukraine, the opening of EU accession negotiations is seen as an important sign that it is worth continuing the defensive struggle against Russia. How long it will take for the EU to join the EU once negotiations begin is completely unclear. For example, Turkey became a candidate for the EU in 1999 – and is currently further away from membership than all other candidate countries, partly due to the decline in the rule of law.
Theoretically, a candidate for membership can never become a member. In the case of Ukraine, it is currently considered impossible for the country to become a member of the EU before the end of Russia’s war of aggression. Because Kiev could then request military assistance under Article 42, paragraph 7 of the EU Treaty, and the EU would be a party to the war.
Source: Krone
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