Politico learned about the intention of the EC to recommend the candidacy of Ukraine to the EU
The European Commission intends to recommend granting Ukraine the status of an EU candidate country, the newspaper writes. The EC must make a decision on June 17, and on June 23-24 the leaders will discuss Kyiv's application based on the recommendation
The European Commission intends to recommend granting Ukraine the status of a country— candidate for the EU, Politico reports, citing several officials familiar with the discussion of this issue.
According to the EC, its decision should send a signal to Russia that it will not be able to return Ukraine to its sphere of influence .
“The European Commission has not forgotten that Ukraine— the only country in Europe where people were killed, where people were shot because they were on the streets with EU flags,— said one of the senior officials. “Now we can't tell them, 'Sorry guys, you were waving the wrong flag,'” he added.
In order for Kyiv to receive the status of a candidate, the consent of all 27 countries— EU members— they should consider this issue at a summit in Brussels next week. At least three countries are still objecting, officials and diplomats say. As Bloomberg reported, Denmark and the Netherlands, in particular, are opposed.
Supporters of Ukraine's accession to the European Union, in turn, believe that the postponement of the decision on the application of Kyiv “deeply demoralizes Ukraine.”
Some leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, reminds Politico, offered to provide Ukraine some intermediate status that will strengthen its relations with the EU. According to Macron, even if it becomes a candidate country, in accordance with all procedures, it will take more than ten years for it to enter the EU.
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Earlier, the leader of the European People's Party in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber, expressed support for granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU membership. The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, speaking of such a prospect, in turn, said that “some will succeed, others” no».
According to Bloomberg, the EC is due to decide on June 17, then the leaders will discuss the application on June 23–24 based on the recommendation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an application for EU membership in late February, days after the start of the Russian military operation. In April, the authorities handed over to Brussels a completed questionnaire to obtain candidate status. The head of the EC, Ursula von der Leyen, promised to consider Kyiv's application in the summer.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called “mean” statements by European politicians that Ukraine cannot yet claim the status of a candidate. “They promised that Ukraine would join their ranks every year. Every year they said that “now you are one more step, another half a centimeter, one more millimeter closer to your cherished goal, which we have imposed on you”, this very European integration, — said the official representative of the department, Maria Zakharova. Moscow itself at first did not object to Ukraine's accession to the EU, but later changed its position.
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