Austria's Minister for Europe, Integration, and Family, Claudia Bauer, expressed skepticism about accelerating Ukraine's accession process to the European Union. This is reported by UNN with reference to Financial Times.
Details
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the eve of the 4th anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion, called on European countries to set a deadline for Ukraine's accession to the EU. He proposed 2027 as the deadline.
Claudia Bauer stated that this is "not only ambitious but also unrealistic." She reminded that there are clear rules and conditions under which a country can become a member of the European Union. These rules apply to any country seeking to join the EU, without exception.
The minister also recalled the example of Montenegro, which began accession talks with the European Union in 2012 and wants to join the EU in 2028.
In Ukraine's case, negotiations have not even begun, and in some areas, there is a huge need for reforms. We cannot apply double standards; there can be no accelerated procedures
At the same time, Bauer criticized Hungary's policy for blocking EU decisions regarding Ukraine's future membership.
Recall
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that Ukraine is on the right path to EU membership. According to her, EU accession is a "merit-based" process, and the pace depends primarily on the candidate country.