US Proposal for Ukraine’s EU Entry Met with Skepticism
A US proposal to bring Ukraine into the European Union in 2027 under a plan to end the war with Russia was met with scepticism in Brussels on Friday, with diplomats and officials dismissing it as unrealistic.
The complicated EU accession process usually takes years, involving negotiations on anything from agriculture to the rule of law.
“2027, it’s tomorrow,” said an EU official speaking on condition of anonymity, referring to the normally long time it takes to get things done in Brussels.
Even the most optimistic types, such as enlargement commissioner Marta Kos, had been hoping to see Kyiv join by 2030 at the earliest.
“As if the Americans are going to decide for us!”,a European diplomat said. “It’s nonsense: there needs to be an appetite for enlargement that isn’t there.”
Read moreLive: EU freezes Russian assets to prevent Hungary and Slovakia from blocking their use for Ukraine
The idea of a speedy accession is included in the latest version of a US-lead plan to end the war, which woudl also see Ukraine cede land to Russia and has triggered a diplomatic frenzy across Europe in recent weeks.
Launched as a powerful statement days after Russia’s 2022 invasion,
Keep reading