by Gabriela Baczynska
BRUSSELS, Nov 6 (Reuters) – The European Union’s executive is expected this week to recommend bringing forward Ukraine’s membership in the bloc, officials say, an outcome coveted by Kyiv which is seeing its troops exhausted after almost two years of war against Russia.
The European Commission will publish a report on Wednesday assessing the progress made by candidate countries for EU membership. Its President Ursula von der Leyen, during a visit to Kyiv on Saturday, congratulated Ukraine for its progress.
The report and recommendation will serve as the basis for the decision of the EU leaders’ summit in December on whether to begin formal accession negotiations with Kyiv.
Negotiations of this type last several years before candidates meet the legal and economic criteria for membership, and the European Union is not prepared to welcome a country at war.
Ukraine’s integration into the EU, however, is a priority for Kyiv, which faces the exhaustion of its troops and uncertainty over the continuation of vital military aid from the United States.
The Commission said last June that Ukraine met two of the seven conditions required by the EU to begin accession negotiations.
“You have made excellent progress,” Ursula von der Leyen said on Saturday during a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky.
“You are waging a vital war while fundamentally reforming your country,” she added, referring to reforms to the Ukrainian judicial system, the elimination of oligarchs and the fight against money laundering.
She expressed confidence that Ukraine would soon complete the next steps – related to the fight against corruption and safeguarding the rights of minorities – and move forward on the path to EU membership.
Volodimir Zelensky said that Kyiv would respect these conditions and that a positive decision by the EU would give new motivation to the Ukrainian people and their troops. Ukraine’s EU membership would strengthen both sides, he added.
“There will be no geopolitical gray zones in Europe. We will establish a new basis for the growth and development of Ukraine and all European countries. We will guarantee our country and our citizens real economic security and social,” he said.
His comments come after the Ukrainian commander general’s statements that the war is evolving into battles of attrition and the Italian prime minister’s remarks about the international community’s fatigue with the war in Ukraine, during a hoax telephone number made public.
MOLDOVA, GEORGIA
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock last week supported Ukraine’s accession negotiations to begin next month
Kyiv is expected to get the green light this week “on the condition” that it does more to fight corruption and guarantee minority rights, a point raised by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Wednesday’s Commission report will also cover other candidate countries, including Georgia and Moldova.
The latter has fulfilled nine conditions to begin accession negotiations, including the fight against organized crime, and could obtain a conditional positive recommendation, just like neighboring Ukraine.
“Moldova has demonstrated resilience and commitment to advancing its European agenda while taking steps to mitigate the impact of Russia’s war of aggression,” reads a preliminary version of the report, consulted by Reuters before its official publication.
European officials believe that Georgia has not met the twelve conditions required to obtain candidate country status, obtained by Kyiv and Chisinau last year.
His candidacy is, however, supported by Victor Orban who could further advance the country on the path to EU membership, as the bloc seeks to limit Russia’s influence. (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; French version by Dagmarah Mackos, editing by Kate Entringer)
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