Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has identified five sectors in which Ukraine hopes to assert itself as a future EU member. These are defense, energy, agriculture, raw materials, and digital technologies. He said this in an interview with Euractiv, UNN reports.
Details
"Look at our defense and military sector - Ukraine is a center of military and defense technologies, produces new high-tech equipment, and we have the potential to become a European shield, a European arsenal and strengthen the EU's defense capabilities," Shmyhal said.
He noted that Ukraine now has one of the world's strongest armed forces, with many years of real-world experience on the battlefield. "This can strengthen the European defense system," the Prime Minister said.
Ukraine can become an energy hub and "gas security" for Europe, Shmyhal believes, adding that Kyiv can "bring stability and more potential, both economic and energy," to the EU.
"We went through two very difficult winters when Russia terrorized our energy infrastructure, but we still have a surplus in our energy system and we can supply clean green energy to the European market," Shmyhal said.
"We have one of the largest underground gas storage facilities on the continent in Ukraine, 33 billion cubic meters, in very safe conditions, which are already used by many European companies. We could increase this capacity for them to 10-15 billion cubic meters," he added.
Shmyhal emphasized that Ukraine can also "bring more stability to the global food market, and together with us, the EU can become a strong geopolitical player when it comes to food stability and security in the world.
Ukraine's Prime Minister dismissed concerns that some EU member states may want to slow progress due to fears of unfair trade practices allegations.
"We do not intend to create unfair competition with our neighbors, European countries and European farmers," Shmyhal said.
He added that Kyiv is ready to compete under EU rules and is "ready for communication, negotiations and compromises.
In addition, Kyiv expects to develop the extraction and processing of raw materials and natural resources together with European investors.
Ukraine has 5% of the world's raw materials and natural resources, including 22 of the 30 most important raw materials crucial for European production, such as lithium, cobalt, and titanium.
"We also have very good technologies for cyber defense thanks to our hybrid war with Russia, which can be useful for the EU to increase security and stability in cyber defense in the digital sphere," Shmyhal said.
He noted that Ukraine also plans to expand its infrastructure from the Black Sea to the Baltic and participate in the Rail Baltica project.
Addendum
Ukraine's upcoming accession to the EU will bring more benefits than costs to the union, and European Union member states are set to approve the next formal steps later this week.