The European Commission has delayed the start of Ukraine's EU accession review, so Ukraine's "third victory" may be postponed
Kyiv • UNN
EU leaders unanimously approved the bloc's financial assistance to Ukraine and overcame another veto threat from Hungary, but the accession process is still slowed down as member states remain wary of too rapid an enlargement.
The financial assistance agreement announced this week is the second victory for the EU after the political decision to start negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union in December 2023. However, Ukraine's accession process may be further slowed down. According to Euractiv, the EU Commission has started the process of verifying Ukraine's accession to the EU later, and the threat of a veto by Hungary may still put pressure on future decisions of the European Union, UNN reports .
Details
For Kyiv, Thursday's bailout agreement is the second EU victory out of three after the political decision in December to start accession talks.
For European Council President Charles Michel, however, the quick deal was also a personal victory, after he had come under criticism for the way he was doing his job. The confirmation of the quick deal came after a small group of EU leaders - in different groups - prepared an acceptable text before the official summit and convinced Orban to override his veto on the funding package, the newspaper recalls.
But it is not yet a complete success.
Hungary's veto threat may yet influence future EU decisions on Ukraine or other issues - Orban remains committed to one thing: a fundamentally different understanding of the war in Ukraine than the other 26 EU member states, as he repeated during the talks themselves.
Ukraine's accession process may also be slowed down for the time being, as member states also remain cautious about enlarging the EU too quickly.
It is important to note that the European Commission has started the process of verifying Ukraine's accession to the EU late. Why the process did not start in December, as expected, was surprising to some EU member states, Euractiv writes.
Thus, the publication suggests that Ukraine's desired third victory is unlikely to happen before the March EU summit.
AddendumAddendum
Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reminded EU leaders that the goal of one million rounds of ammunition for Ukraine should be achieved by March. However, no agreement has yet been reached on reforming the weapons stockpile to supply Ukraine with additional weapons.
In order to deter and push back Russian troops, Ukraine needs more military assistance from the West.
Signal to Washington
The agreement on a €50 billion aid package for Ukraine also sends an important signal to Washington, the newspaper writes. The US Congress has not yet agreed to increase its own funding for Ukraine, as it is still considering President Joe Biden's request for an additional $61 billion.
The October 2023 request, which also includes funds for Israel, was blocked due to US Republicans' insistence that it be linked to a change in immigration policy.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters that she hoped the EU's move would inspire the United States to follow suit.
This will be an encouragement for the United States to do its fair share
US President Joe Biden welcomed the bloc's approval of €50 billion in aid to Ukraine during a phone conversation with von der Leyen, the White House reports.
Biden welcomed the "significant financial assistance package" that will "significantly help Ukraine as they continue to fight Russian aggression
U.S. Democrats also announced that next week the U.S. Senate will vote on a border security package that will unblock vital aid to Ukraine.
Recall
All 27 leaders of the European Union member states agreed on an additional package of support for Ukraine amounting to 50 billion euros within the EU budget.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on European politicians to unite in creating a separate aid fund - at least 5 billion euros a year
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen plans to appeal to Congress to support Ukraine; inaction could bring Putin a victory.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland expressed confidence that the U.S. Congress will vote for additional assistance to Ukraine, given its role in Ukraine's defense and prosperity.
