The leaders of the European Union (EU) ruled out this Friday, at the end of a two-day summit in Versailles (France), rapid accession of Ukraineas requested by its president, Volodímir Zelensky.
“We must show great respect for Ukrainian citizens and leaders. I can understand the emotional response and expectations. Yesterday the EU gave a strong and clear message that Ukraine’s destiny lies in Europe,” he told a news conference. French President Emmanuel Macron at the end of the meeting. “But Can we have exceptional measures with a country that is at war? The answer is no“, he sentenced.
The French president stated that “with the geopolitical situation and the tragic return of the war (…) we have to think about how we want to organize a bigger Europewhich is not necessarily a Europe with the same policies as other countries in the EU”.
The EU countries have asked the European Commission this week to evaluate the candidacies of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, to see if they meet the Copenhagen criteria: respect for the fundamental values of the European Union, the existence of institutions that guarantee democracy and a market economy.
The Twenty-seven mandated the Commission just a week after Zelensky signed the letter of accession, compared to the average eight months it took for applications from the Western Balkan countries. “This shows that there is a completely different process underway,” said the president of the Community Executive, Ursula Von der Leyen, at the same press conference, in which she assured that “there are conditions to be part of the EU.”
The German leader also emphasized the EU’s support for Ukraine in the short term, assuring that having a free and democratic Ukraine after the war will mean that there will be a great reconstruction of the country with strong support from the EU.”
Source: Lasexta
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