Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olga Stefanishyna responded to the statement that the country has fulfilled 90% of the conditions for joining the European Union (EU). According to her, such statements by the head of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen are “negative,” the Financial Times newspaper writes on November 6.
“Even 99.9% is a negative thesis for Ukraine, because we are talking about existential changes in the country. It sounds like ‘you’re 90% done and you only have three days to do the rest,'” Stefanishyna said.
According to her, achieving all the conditions for readiness to join is impossible, since more and more problems appear in achieving the goals.
Earlier, on October 4, President of the European Council Charles Michel said in an interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel that Ukraine could become a member of the EU in 2030 if all the necessary conditions are met on both sides. The head of the European Council also argued at the end of August that the union should be ready for expansion by this year.
Michel’s forecast was commented on by Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, pointing to the EU’s faith in the existence of Ukraine until this time. State Duma deputy Sultan Khamzaev said on the same day that for the European Union, Kyiv’s entry into it in its current format is the beginning of the end of the alliance.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky signed an application for the country to join the EU on February 28, 2022. Then, in April of the same year, the Ukrainian side submitted to the union the completed second part of the questionnaire for obtaining candidate status. On June 23 of the same year, Michel announced that at the EU summit Ukraine had agreed on candidate status.
Six other countries are also in a similar situation, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Montenegro.
