Russia’s war won’t stop Brussels and Kyiv starting talks on Ukraine joining the EU, diplomats say.

The European Union is gearing up to open negotiations with Ukraine on its future accession to the bloc with a formal announcement expected as soon as December.

According to three diplomats with knowledge of the plans, leaders are preparing to give Kyiv the green light to begin formal talks on joining the 27-country bloc before the end of the year.

Ukraine is at the heart of a major new push to expand the EU to as many as 35 countries. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in her annual address to Parliament last month that Ukraine’s future was “in the Union.”

EU countries granted Kyiv status as a candidate for EU membership in June, and the Commission is due to issue a “progress report” on how well Ukraine and other aspiring members are meeting the bloc’s conditions for joining in November, according to an EU official who spoke to journalists on Tuesday.

  • barsoap@lemm.eeEnglish
    83·
    1 year ago

    There’s 0 chance a country at war could focus on making the changes required to join

    They’ve already been doing that: The judicial governance and media legislation reforms are complete, the rest are in progress.

    There’s also 0 chance they get admitted while at war, as that would obligate the EU to mobilize against Russia, which they really don’t want to do.

    Quoth Article 42.7 TEU:

    If a Member State is the victim of armed aggression on its territory, the other Member States shall have towards it an obligation of aid and assistance by all the means in their power, in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. This shall not prejudice the specific character of the security and defence policy of certain Member States.

    Commitments and cooperation in this area shall be consistent with commitments under the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, which, for those States which are members of it, remains the foundation of their collective defence and the forum for its implementation.

    …which can very well be read as “as NATO is trying very hard to not get involved with boots on the ground NATO states will stay out of it”. And the non-NATO states aren’t likely to send anything in the first place, being neutral, which means that the “aid and assistance by all the means in their power”, “not prejudice the specific character of the security and defence policy of certain Member States”, means weapons delivers and shit.

    Now, I’m not saying that Ukraine will join before the Russians are kicked out, but it could be made to work.

    • ryathal@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      6·
      1 year ago

      If the EU admits Ukraine and doesn’t mobilize against Russia beyond existing aid packages it makes the defensive pact useless. It doesn’t matter that it may be justifiable to not send troops, according to the law, international relations are about actions.

      • barsoap@lemm.eeEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Presumably everyone would organise behind the scenes to make the right public diplomatic moves to not damage the article. It wouldn’t be easy, it won’t be ideal, but it’s a way that can be walked is all I’m saying. Also depends on war progress of course Russia besieging Lviv and Ukraine on the verge of kicking Russians out are two vastly different scenarios because what Ukraine would need is vastly different.