“For years there was a deadlock, resulting in no progress. Ukraine has now brought about a new sense of momentum,” commented Borrell on EU enlargement

Ukraine’s accession to the EU means an end to “sleeping siesta” on EU enlargement. But there are challenges to overcome, such as disputes over grain exports and the need for reforms. This was announced by the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, in an interview with The Guardian, UNN reports.

More details

Asked whether disputes between some Eastern European countries and Ukraine over grain exports are a harbinger of the conflicts that might arise if the country joined the EU, he said:

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“Everybody knows, it’s going to be difficult, because Ukraine, first of all, is at war and is being destroyed, literally. Second, it had to do a lot of reforms even before the war. And third, at this moment, Ukraine being a member of the European Union, it would be the only country that would be a net beneficiary. As a result, Ukraine and the EU will need to undertake a long reform process, including greater use of majority voting,” Borrell said.

Borrell also said that Ukraine’s membership would mark the end of what he described as a “sleeping siesta” about EU enlargement.

“For years and years there has been a kind of stalemate and nothing happened. Ukraine has created a new dynamic,” he said.

To recap

As reported before, the European Commission is preparing to recommend that Ukraine’s membership negotiations be launched, offering support to Kyiv amid efforts to ensure that allies continue to provide military and financial assistance.

Source: UNN