EU High Representative Kaia Kallas said that Ukraine has made significant progress in implementing reforms in the most difficult conditions, so the EU should use this to advance Ukraine towards the union. According to her, “this means opening all negotiation tracks by the summer.”
Kallas announced this at a press conference after a meeting of the EU Council on Foreign Affairs, a correspondent for Suspilny reports.
“The ministers discussed the issue of Ukraine's accession to the EU. Ukraine has made significant progress in implementing reforms in the most difficult conditions, and now a new momentum has emerged that we must use to advance Ukraine on its path to the EU. This means opening all negotiation areas by the summer, and Ukraine's accession to the EU is not charity, but an investment in our own security,” said Kaia Kallas.
According to her, Ukraine's accession to the EU will be a “message” to Russian President Putin that “Ukraine's European future is more important to us than the destruction of Ukraine for Russia.”
She also reported that the ministers of the EU member states approved an expanded mandate for the EU Advisory Mission in Ukraine, which will allow the mission to step up the fight against hybrid threats and promote the reintegration of veterans.
“We are also continuing work on EU security guarantees for the ceasefire, which includes, in particular, strengthening the EU satellite center so that it can not only help monitor compliance with the ceasefire, but also counter the circumvention of sanctions,” said Kaia Kallas.
According to her, Ukraine is in a much better position economically and on the battlefield than it was a year ago.
“The provision of a loan worth 90 billion, Moscow's record losses on the battlefield, Ukraine's deep strikes on Russian territory, and the reduction in the scale of the military parade in Moscow – all this indicates that the dynamics of the war are changing,” Kaia Kallas noted.
Meanwhile, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Cos stated that the first cluster on Ukraine's membership negotiations could be opened during the Cypriot presidency – by June 30.
“As for the remaining five clusters, we hope that we will be able to do this in July. Namely, we have carried out extensive preliminary preparatory work, and now everything is ready for the official opening,” said Marta Kos.