Ukraine may become EU member by 2030 – EU council president
Volodymyr Zelensky and Charles Michel. Photo: Office of the President
Ukraine could join the European Union by 2030, President of the European Council, Charles Michel, said in an interview with Spiegel.
"Yes, Ukraine can become part of the EU in 2030 if both parties do their homework," Michel said.
He added that Ukraine and other candidate countries should adopt reforms, fight corruption, and fulfill the requirements of the law.
"We in the EU must clearly understand what we want to achieve together, where our priorities are, and what we want to spend money on. And we need to speed up decision-making," the president said.
The European Union cannot waste any more time, Michel stressed.
"The Western Balkans countries, for example, have been waiting 20 years to join the EU, and the influence of Russia and China is increasing there," he said.
Michel added that a prosperous and safe Ukraine was also in the EU's own interests.
"Their resistance to Russia showed that Ukraine should be in the EU: Ukraine has to be in the EU. Soon, not someday," he said. "This would also prove that the EU is capable of geopolitical actions."
The EU has recently opened up conversations about reforming the union amid preparations to expand with the accession of the Eastern European and the Western Balkan countries.
At the request of France and Germany — the most influential members of the European Union — 12 experts proposed a structural reform to prepare the union to accept new states.
At a press conference in Kyiv following the informal meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Kyiv on Monday, Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, said that EU reform should not be used to hinder the accession of new countries into the block.
During the press conference, EU High Representative Josep Borrell said that the European Union is determined to support Ukraine for as long as it takes to fight against Russian aggression and maintain peace. However, membership in the European Union is the most effective security obligation to Ukraine.
What we know about Ukraine's accession to the EU
In July, President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, starting negotiations on Ukraine's membership at the end of the year.
Earlier, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stated that if Ukraine maintains the current pace of reforms, it can quickly succeed and join the European Union.
As Rubryka reported, on the 500th day of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, von der Leyen confirmed the EU would continue supporting Kyiv.
