We’ve enforced recommendations and are on the verge of starting real negotiations to join the EU – Ukrainian MP

The European Commission's recommendation to start accession negotiations with Ukraine is a historic event for the country, says MP Arsenii Pushkarenko, the Deputy Head of the Committee on Foreign Policy and Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament). 

Speaking on the national telethon, Pushkarenko highlighted the symbolism of the decision coming ten years after the 2014 Maidan protests, where Ukrainians rallied for the signing of an Association Agreement with the EU under the flags of a united Europe.

Pushkarenko thanked the European Commission for acknowledging Ukraine's efforts toward EU membership. He stressed that President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said that despite the full-scale war, Ukraine was successfully implementing reforms on the path to EU membership.

Analyzing the situation before the Council of EU meeting, Pushkarenko said during a recent meeting in Berlin, attended by the foreign ministers of the EU and Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, the European countries seriously discussed the transformation of the Union and its enlargement. 

"For us, as a candidate country, it was crucial to hear that the EU will not tie the transformation of the EU itself to the accession of new members," said the MP.

Pushkarenko acknowledged that even with the general consensus among member states, Ukraine could face difficulties on the way to negotiations, especially due to Hungary's opposition to the country's accession. 

"Hungary did not block Moldova's accession to the EU. It's evident that Hungary's biased attitude toward Ukraine is solely linked to its dealings with the Kremlin. Here, we need the unity and principled position of other EU states," he said. "I'm optimistic that there'll be unity because EU leaders understand the war against Ukraine is a threat to the security architecture of the entire continent. The war is a common challenge to the European family."

Pushkarenko mentioned that all branches of the Ukrainian government were working together to expedite Ukraine's path to EU membership. Following the historic recommendation by Ursula von der Leyen, President Volodymyr Zelensky gave instructions to intensify work on advancing reforms.

The next interim report on Ukraine's progress on the EU integration path will be presented in March 2024. Pushkarenko said that after Ukraine obtained candidate status in July last year, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a resolution prioritizing Eurointegration legislative projects. Each parliamentary committee has established subcommittees on European integration, ensuring that all legislative work aligns with the course of European integration.

Pushkarenko drew attention to the announced €50 billion in assistance for Ukraine's budget over four years, discussed at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London this summer. He stressed that this aid was directly tied to reforms in Ukraine, as the Ukrainian government provided the European Commission with a preliminary plan for the Ukraine Facility program, outlining the necessary reforms and transformation projects to receive funds within the program.