Ukraine Will Not Become EU Member As Long As There Are Russian Troops On Its Territory - EC Deputy Chair

Ukraine will not be able to become a member of the European Union as long as there are Russian troops on its territory.

This was stated by the Deputy Chairman of the European Commission Frans Timmermans in an interview with DW.

"No, it is impossible. But the whole idea is for Ukraine to come out of this conflict as a winner, sovereign, independent, free and able to make this choice itself. And I think that Ukraine is fighting for this to happen. The European Union has to support Ukraine in achieving this goal," Timmermans answered when asked whether Ukraine could become a member of the EU if the Russian military will be in this country.

As the European Commission noted, when Ukraine received the official status of a candidate for membership of the European Union, in order to be accepted into the EU, it is necessary to fulfill the Copenhagen criteria - conditions for joining the EU, adopted in 1993. Among them are the presence of stable state institutions, a functioning market economy and the ability to effectively fulfill the obligations of a member of the EU.

In addition, the European Commission formulated seven conditions that Kyiv must fulfill on the way to membership in the European Union. It is about judicial reforms, fight against corruption, de-oligarchization and policy towards national minorities.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on June 23, Ukraine officially received the status of a candidate for EU membership and must now fulfill a number of requirements for the start of membership negotiations.

In addition, according to Shmyhal, Ukraine plans to prepare for joining the European Union by the end of 2024.

To request a correction, please send an email.