Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal tells POLITICO Ukraine has met all the criteria to begin accession talks with the EU.
France and Germany may be drawing up plans for a multispeed EU, but Ukraine is making quite clear it doesn’t want to be fobbed off with second-tier membership.
Kyiv is aiming to become a “fully fledged candidate for full fledged membership” of the European Union, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told POLITICO as he vowed to take his country into the EU within the next two years.
Shmyhal made the pitch for full EU membership as the debate about enlargement heats up, ahead of a series of key meetings in the coming months. France and Germany have been pushing for an alternative option to full EU status, based around four different concentric circles of membership. This could constitute the framework for gradual integration.
Shmyhal, however, made clear Ukraine would not be putting up with the go-slow version.
“We are performing all the maximum efforts to ensure that Ukraine would become a fully fledged member of the European Union. This is of critical importance for all Ukrainians.”
While noting it was ultimately a political decision for member states, he added: “I rest assured that within two years we shall be fully and completely ready to be part of the European Union.”
While eight countries have been granted EU candidate status, including a group of countries in the Western Balkans that have been waiting to proceed to the next step in the accession process for years, Shmyhal argued that Ukraine has a unique case to make for EU membership.
“We want to be a fully fledged member because Ukraine today is the unique country across the world that has paid such a huge price for its will to become a European Union member. No single other candidate country to the European Union has ever had such a huge support of the population — over 90 percent of Ukrainians — wishing, willing and wanting to become a fully fledged European member.”
Smhyal said Ukraine had met all seven conditions set out by the European Commission in June 2022 to proceed to the next stage in the accession process, after a resolution passed by the Cabinet this week. This included a recognition of the rights of national minorities — a move largely seen as an olive branch to Hungary, which has objected to the treatment of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine.
“We are ready to go. We expect that no later than October we can have the positive situation with the assessment of our progress by the European Commission and so that the European Council can vote and take the decision to start negotiation talks with Ukraine.”
The European Commission, which is assessing Ukraine’s progress, is due to publish its annual enlargement package next month, which will be the launch pad for a discussion among EU leaders at December’s European Council meeting.
Shmyhal confirmed Ukrainian diplomats are lobbying national capitals hard about the need to proceed with Ukraine’s membership process. “Ukraine, as an EU member, would not be bringing problems to the European Union. On the contrary, Ukraine will assist in resolving many problematic issues in the European Union,” he said, highlighting areas like energy independence, security, defense, and the economy.
Shmyhal also sought to smoothe the waters with Poland following the recent spat between the two countries over exports of Ukrainian grain, claiming that Ukrainians who have fled the country for Poland have contributed 0.5 percent of GDP to the Polish economy. Some €4.5 billion of remittances have also been wired to Ukrainians in Poland since the start of the war, he said.
“I would like to express the words of gratitude to the Polish nation and all Polish families for the support that they have given and have provided to Ukrainian refugees.”
Ukraine is expected to be represented at next week’s meeting of the European Political Community in Granada, which will convene EU and non-EU leaders.
>“Ukraine, as an EU member, would not be bringing problems to the European Union. On the contrary, Ukraine will assist in resolving many problematic issues in the European Union,”
Yeah that’s what we though in 2004 with Poland and Hungary. Ukraine will have to forgive us if we don’t trust their word, it’s just that democracies are fickle things and you never know when they turn ultra-nationalists like Poland or in a Russian trojan horse like Hungary.
There is no second-class EU membership. There are like a gazillion classes of pre-membership though and Ukraine would have to go through several of them.
Anyone who thinks Ukraine could be an EU member within two years simply demonstrates how unprepared he really is. Two *decades* would be pushing it
Ukraine is nowhere near ready for EU membership, their politicians should stop creating these ridiculous expectations of Ukraine entering EU in 2 years because it’s going to be very disappointing for everyone.
I’m fully supporting them in joining, but it needs to happen step by step and EU should also use the time to pass some reforms that are already much needed even without Ukraine in.
1. Even before war Ukraine was more corrupt and poor than all the Western Balkans countries together.
2. Ukraine joining before NM, Albania, Montenegro and Serbia would be an injustice and a EU would lose Wester Balkans forever. Since those countries have been waiting for a long time and have been going through difficult processes to try and meet the criteria.
3. Just to be clear, I know that this is a process that depends on how fast a country meets the criteria but Ukraine is no close to it. No one would be surprised if let’s say Switzerland or Norway enters EU in one or two years. But Ukraine? C’mon let’s be realistic.
Bro’s gonna ask for an Ukrainian Empire at this point
Poland and hungary are 30 years ahead of ukraine and had better startingconditions and look where we are now.
Helping ukraine defend itself against russia is one thing, but adding another giant corrupt receiverstate with veto rights to the eu is an absolute no-go.
i mean is that or nothing then
That’s nice, Mr. Shmyhal.
Proper membership comes when the Copenhagen criteria are met. The efforts are a nice thing but your country doesn’t at the moment.
Work on that and you’ll be members. “First class members” if you prefer or “fully fledged” as you’ve stated.
The Verruca Salt of Europe.
Who put in their head that they will get soon in EU it will be a lot less dangerous to accept all Balkan countries than one Ukraine in EU.
No membership at all is the better solution anyway
Altough I support Ukraine and I hope they win, Ukraine in EU in the next 10-15 years is something that will not and should not happen. Regardless of what they “ accept “ or not, they still have setious issues that need to be solved till joining.
Perhaps Ukraine should get a reality slap and realise that:
1) They dont call the shots here, we do
2) Beggars can’t be choosers
3) Being the agressee does not give you the right to throw your weight around. Sympathy capital, like all capital, is expendable
4) Don’t piss off the members of the group you are trying to join
5) Every. Single. Comment. Like these ones chip away at your political position. At some point people might say fuck off and won’t care if Russia annexes half your country.
I mean we all *want* to support Ukraine but its hard when they are acting like such twats.
The reality is that they are ONLY surviving due to western support. They should look at nagorno karabakh and pass their pants. That’s what happens when there is no western support. Except here yiu aren’t vs Azerbaijan but vs Russia.
I swear, Ukrainian diplomats aren’t the sharpest tools in the shed. They are the bluntest stick in the forest.
Sometimes it really feels like a combination of a:
-destroy your political capital any %
-try not to bite the hand that feeds you challenge (IMPOSSIBLE) (GONE WRONG).
We didn’t either but we got what we got 🙁
In 2050, a real timeline, could happen, taken in the possibility of the war ending before 2030
Well then, it appears Ukraine is getting ready to do an Ukrainexit already.
Somehow they got the feeling the rest of the world helped them because they strong armed everybody and now they keep pushing it until the day EU will say kktxbye
Yeah we don’t want you flooding European markets with your American grown GMO bullshit
Neither will the EU accept Ukraine until it fulfills accession requirements in full.
NATO membership will be the more pressing requirement after the war, they shouldn’t be rushed through the EU one, for the sake of both sides.
Plot twist:
They won’t need to decline the second-class EU membership, since they won’t even get it lmao.
Demanding Exceptionalism…………the cheek!
Well then dont accept it.
And dont join.
We dont need you.
Ukraine should become inner circle. It should be given UKs old place. Sure it will take a while to prop Ukraine up to being the biggest Eastern European economy and Top 5 EU, but we should do it!
They won’t get any more as long as their corruption problem isn’t solved. They must understand how problematic Hungary and Poland already are. We don’t need more of that bullshit.
As a Hungarian, you would be better off with it. The EU membership brings endless funds for development, but these act like a natural resource and will induce serious resource curse. A non-corrupt country with enlightened citizens can benefit immensely from these programmes, but a corrupt state without democratic traditons can get into serious trouble. Just check out, how we ended up with Orban and his maffia state!
Meanwhile in Romania:
“Please punish us, master EU! Harder, daddy!!”
27 comments
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal tells POLITICO Ukraine has met all the criteria to begin accession talks with the EU.
France and Germany may be drawing up plans for a multispeed EU, but Ukraine is making quite clear it doesn’t want to be fobbed off with second-tier membership.
Kyiv is aiming to become a “fully fledged candidate for full fledged membership” of the European Union, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told POLITICO as he vowed to take his country into the EU within the next two years.
Shmyhal made the pitch for full EU membership as the debate about enlargement heats up, ahead of a series of key meetings in the coming months. France and Germany have been pushing for an alternative option to full EU status, based around four different concentric circles of membership. This could constitute the framework for gradual integration.
Shmyhal, however, made clear Ukraine would not be putting up with the go-slow version.
“We are performing all the maximum efforts to ensure that Ukraine would become a fully fledged member of the European Union. This is of critical importance for all Ukrainians.”
While noting it was ultimately a political decision for member states, he added: “I rest assured that within two years we shall be fully and completely ready to be part of the European Union.”
While eight countries have been granted EU candidate status, including a group of countries in the Western Balkans that have been waiting to proceed to the next step in the accession process for years, Shmyhal argued that Ukraine has a unique case to make for EU membership.
“We want to be a fully fledged member because Ukraine today is the unique country across the world that has paid such a huge price for its will to become a European Union member. No single other candidate country to the European Union has ever had such a huge support of the population — over 90 percent of Ukrainians — wishing, willing and wanting to become a fully fledged European member.”
Smhyal said Ukraine had met all seven conditions set out by the European Commission in June 2022 to proceed to the next stage in the accession process, after a resolution passed by the Cabinet this week. This included a recognition of the rights of national minorities — a move largely seen as an olive branch to Hungary, which has objected to the treatment of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine.
“We are ready to go. We expect that no later than October we can have the positive situation with the assessment of our progress by the European Commission and so that the European Council can vote and take the decision to start negotiation talks with Ukraine.”
The European Commission, which is assessing Ukraine’s progress, is due to publish its annual enlargement package next month, which will be the launch pad for a discussion among EU leaders at December’s European Council meeting.
Shmyhal confirmed Ukrainian diplomats are lobbying national capitals hard about the need to proceed with Ukraine’s membership process. “Ukraine, as an EU member, would not be bringing problems to the European Union. On the contrary, Ukraine will assist in resolving many problematic issues in the European Union,” he said, highlighting areas like energy independence, security, defense, and the economy.
Shmyhal also sought to smoothe the waters with Poland following the recent spat between the two countries over exports of Ukrainian grain, claiming that Ukrainians who have fled the country for Poland have contributed 0.5 percent of GDP to the Polish economy. Some €4.5 billion of remittances have also been wired to Ukrainians in Poland since the start of the war, he said.
“I would like to express the words of gratitude to the Polish nation and all Polish families for the support that they have given and have provided to Ukrainian refugees.”
Ukraine is expected to be represented at next week’s meeting of the European Political Community in Granada, which will convene EU and non-EU leaders.
>“Ukraine, as an EU member, would not be bringing problems to the European Union. On the contrary, Ukraine will assist in resolving many problematic issues in the European Union,”
Yeah that’s what we though in 2004 with Poland and Hungary. Ukraine will have to forgive us if we don’t trust their word, it’s just that democracies are fickle things and you never know when they turn ultra-nationalists like Poland or in a Russian trojan horse like Hungary.
There is no second-class EU membership. There are like a gazillion classes of pre-membership though and Ukraine would have to go through several of them.
Anyone who thinks Ukraine could be an EU member within two years simply demonstrates how unprepared he really is. Two *decades* would be pushing it
Ukraine is nowhere near ready for EU membership, their politicians should stop creating these ridiculous expectations of Ukraine entering EU in 2 years because it’s going to be very disappointing for everyone.
I’m fully supporting them in joining, but it needs to happen step by step and EU should also use the time to pass some reforms that are already much needed even without Ukraine in.
1. Even before war Ukraine was more corrupt and poor than all the Western Balkans countries together.
2. Ukraine joining before NM, Albania, Montenegro and Serbia would be an injustice and a EU would lose Wester Balkans forever. Since those countries have been waiting for a long time and have been going through difficult processes to try and meet the criteria.
3. Just to be clear, I know that this is a process that depends on how fast a country meets the criteria but Ukraine is no close to it. No one would be surprised if let’s say Switzerland or Norway enters EU in one or two years. But Ukraine? C’mon let’s be realistic.
Bro’s gonna ask for an Ukrainian Empire at this point
Poland and hungary are 30 years ahead of ukraine and had better startingconditions and look where we are now.
Helping ukraine defend itself against russia is one thing, but adding another giant corrupt receiverstate with veto rights to the eu is an absolute no-go.
i mean is that or nothing then
That’s nice, Mr. Shmyhal.
Proper membership comes when the Copenhagen criteria are met. The efforts are a nice thing but your country doesn’t at the moment.
Work on that and you’ll be members. “First class members” if you prefer or “fully fledged” as you’ve stated.
The Verruca Salt of Europe.
Who put in their head that they will get soon in EU it will be a lot less dangerous to accept all Balkan countries than one Ukraine in EU.
No membership at all is the better solution anyway
Altough I support Ukraine and I hope they win, Ukraine in EU in the next 10-15 years is something that will not and should not happen. Regardless of what they “ accept “ or not, they still have setious issues that need to be solved till joining.
Perhaps Ukraine should get a reality slap and realise that:
1) They dont call the shots here, we do
2) Beggars can’t be choosers
3) Being the agressee does not give you the right to throw your weight around. Sympathy capital, like all capital, is expendable
4) Don’t piss off the members of the group you are trying to join
5) Every. Single. Comment. Like these ones chip away at your political position. At some point people might say fuck off and won’t care if Russia annexes half your country.
I mean we all *want* to support Ukraine but its hard when they are acting like such twats.
The reality is that they are ONLY surviving due to western support. They should look at nagorno karabakh and pass their pants. That’s what happens when there is no western support. Except here yiu aren’t vs Azerbaijan but vs Russia.
I swear, Ukrainian diplomats aren’t the sharpest tools in the shed. They are the bluntest stick in the forest.
Sometimes it really feels like a combination of a:
-destroy your political capital any %
-try not to bite the hand that feeds you challenge (IMPOSSIBLE) (GONE WRONG).
We didn’t either but we got what we got 🙁
In 2050, a real timeline, could happen, taken in the possibility of the war ending before 2030
Well then, it appears Ukraine is getting ready to do an Ukrainexit already.
Somehow they got the feeling the rest of the world helped them because they strong armed everybody and now they keep pushing it until the day EU will say kktxbye
Yeah we don’t want you flooding European markets with your American grown GMO bullshit
Neither will the EU accept Ukraine until it fulfills accession requirements in full.
NATO membership will be the more pressing requirement after the war, they shouldn’t be rushed through the EU one, for the sake of both sides.
Plot twist:
They won’t need to decline the second-class EU membership, since they won’t even get it lmao.
Demanding Exceptionalism…………the cheek!
Well then dont accept it.
And dont join.
We dont need you.
Ukraine should become inner circle. It should be given UKs old place. Sure it will take a while to prop Ukraine up to being the biggest Eastern European economy and Top 5 EU, but we should do it!
They won’t get any more as long as their corruption problem isn’t solved. They must understand how problematic Hungary and Poland already are. We don’t need more of that bullshit.
As a Hungarian, you would be better off with it. The EU membership brings endless funds for development, but these act like a natural resource and will induce serious resource curse. A non-corrupt country with enlightened citizens can benefit immensely from these programmes, but a corrupt state without democratic traditons can get into serious trouble. Just check out, how we ended up with Orban and his maffia state!
Meanwhile in Romania:
“Please punish us, master EU! Harder, daddy!!”