European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius said that Ukraine's membership in NATO is currently impossible, and accession to the European Union is a complex and lengthy process. That is why, according to him, the most effective solution would be the creation of a European Defence Union, which would combine the defence capabilities of Ukraine, the UK and Norway with the potential of EU countries.
He spoke about this during the conference “On the way to URC (Ukraine Recovery Conference). Security and defense dimension” in Rzeszow, Poland on April 27.
“NATO membership is currently unavailable to Ukraine. Full membership in the European Union is a complex process that cannot guarantee rapid integration of defense capabilities. That is why the most effective tool may be to find a new instrument that would focus specifically on the integration of all European defense capabilities. We need a European Defense Union that will allow us to integrate the defense capabilities of Ukraine, Great Britain, and Norway with the defense capabilities of the European Union member states that wish to do so,” said Kubilius.
According to him, such integration could become a reliable guarantee of security for Ukraine after achieving a just peace, as well as an important basis for its successful recovery.
Kubilius added that Ukraine's simultaneous integration into the single market and the European Defense Union in the near future would become “a clear part of the European strategic approach towards Ukraine.”
Co-author: Jana Gerega