In a speech on Europe Day in Strasbourg, Macron said, “We all know very well that the process of allowing Ukraine to join may take several years, in fact maybe decades,” suggesting instead “the formation of a new bloc of non-EU member states that adhere to European values.”
He stressed that “what is required is to build peace between Ukraine and Russia, without seeking to humiliate Moscow, when the time comes for a settlement through the two parties sitting at the negotiating table.”
Since the beginning of the Russian war, the 27-nation European bloc has united to support Ukraine’s resistance and adopted unprecedented sanctions against Moscow, but leaders are divided over how quickly Brussels will agree to accept Ukraine as a member, and how quickly the bloc will sever energy ties with Moscow.
Currently, only Ukraine has a “cooperation agreement” with the European Union aimed at opening the country’s markets and bringing it closer to Europe, and it includes an expanded free trade agreement aimed at helping modernize the Ukrainian economy, while Eastern European countries largely support the acceleration of Ukraine’s membership, but European Union officials stressed that the process may It takes years because of the pending reforms that still need to be implemented before the country meets EU standards.
Calm down with Russia
Commenting on this, the French academic and political analyst, Arthur Lydekebrik, said, “The process of joining the European Union is not easy, and it often takes a long time, with the long and complex procedures needed in this regard, it may take years until the accession process is completed and the conditions are met. and various procedures.
Lydekberg added, in an interview with “Sky News Arabia”: “The European Union does not turn its back on Ukraine as much as it wants to end the war, and Macron’s statements are a calming gesture that Ukraine will remain neutral, and at the same time it was emphasized to increase support, whether through weapons or humanitarian affairs.” “.
He continued, “There is a keenness on the part of the various parties to the Ukrainian crisis and its major actors, to keep this war in its current contexts and prevent it from turning into a broader conflict and a comprehensive confrontation and a global war between the West and Russia, and Kyiv’s accession to NATO or the European Union will be a spark to that.”
On February 28, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the application to join the European Union, at which time the order was widely celebrated by Ukrainians, stressing that it “constitutes a historic moment in the life of the country.”
The European Union’s 27 member states have tasked the commission with considering the application, an important but very early step in the long and complex accession process.
On April 8, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen handed a survey to Zelensky during her visit to Kyiv, pledging a faster start to Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union, and is using this form as a basis for accession negotiations.
On April 18, the Ukrainian president handed the poll to the head of the EU mission in Kyiv, Mate Macykas, which would make his country a candidate country for membership in the bloc, and the European Commission now has to check the extent to which Ukraine respects the criteria for accession to the European Union and make a recommendation to the member states.
While “Von der Leyen” said, via Twitter, that Ukraine will get the first response to its application to join the European Union next June, and Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, expected the recommendation to be positive, “We expect to obtain the status of a candidate country to join the Union.” European Union in June during a scheduled meeting of the European Council.
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