Stumbling blocks. Why are the EU and NATO not yet ready to accept Ukraine?
NATO member states do not have a consensus on Ukraine’s full membership in the Alliance. This was recently revealed by NATO Chief Ian Stoltenberg. There is no talk of joining the EU today, said Petro Stano, spokesman for foreign affairs and European Commission policy.
Why, eight years after the signing of the Association Agreement with the EU and the beginning of the armed aggression against Ukraine, Kyiv’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations still have no clear prospects? Participants of this city Kyiv Security Forum spoke about this, among others. Radio Svoboda asked politicians and experts why there is no consensus in Europe on Ukraine’s accession to the EU and NATO.
Putin is blackmailing Europe
“There was no consensus back in 2008… Why? Because Germany and France, first of all Germany, blocked the action plan for Ukraine’s membership in NATO. Why was this done? This was done for one reason. Fear of Russia, “said the former Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
Yatsenyuk notes that the refusal to provide Ukraine and Georgia with a NATO Membership Action Plan in 2008 led to the seizure of Georgia and Ukraine in subsequent years.
“As long as NATO’s political leadership does not overcome its fear of Russia, Russia will always intimidate them,” Yatsenyuk said.
This fear fuels the concentration of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine, as well as intelligence reports from Ukraine and other countries about plans for a full-scale Russian invasion. But this is not only a threat, but also an opportunity to accelerate Ukraine’s European integration, said the former president of the European Donald Tusk.
Tensions on the Russian-Ukrainian border should be used to speed up this process
“It’s true, and I always try to communicate it when I’m in Kyiv: there are enough friends in Ukraine to continue this process, but there are also many opponents and skeptics who make this process very difficult. In fact, we should use this moment of tension on the Russian-Ukrainian border, when there is a real physical threat, to speed up this process. In this way, we can explain to people in Europe and the entire Western community that Ukraine not only deserves full membership in these organizations, but also that it is not only in Ukraine’s interests, it is necessary for Europe’s security, “Tusk said.
There is no understanding of Russia’s real companies in Europe, so they are in no hurry to join Ukraine to the EU and NATO, according to the fifth president of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko. Speaking at the Kyiv Security Forum, he said the Kremlin aimed to restore Russia’s borders within the former Russian empire and expand its sphere of influence within the former Soviet Union: “The Collective West has finally begun to realize this danger.”
According to Poroshenko, in order not to allow NATO to expand, the Kremlin is blackmailing Europe. Signs of such blackmail are the migration crisis on the border between Belarus and the EU, according to analysts – inspired by the Kremlin, as well as blackmail through rising gas prices.
“Putin sees a solution in Ukraine’s denial of EU and NATO membership,” Poroshenko said.
Ukraine does not do “homework”
The West has become less trusting of Ukraine, which will jeopardize the state’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations, says the former Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.
“This is an absolutely critical story, because it is a matter of trust within the country, and the issue of loss of trust and interaction with our partners. If we don’t fix this story, we risk fighting on the ground, saying what the goals are, but in reality they are not achieving and building sand castles, “she said.
To the mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko, The EU will have more reasons to support Ukraine’s accession if Kyiv has a better “homework”: “Our task is to truly find ourselves in Europe, implementing many reforms and rebuilding the economy. Joining the European family depends on us, Ukrainians, it is effective and we will successfully implement these things. “
According to the Minister of Ecology Ostapa Semeraka, the pace of European integration has slowed in recent years. And this is evidenced even by official reports published by the Cabinet of Ministers, says Semerak.
According to him, the joint statement on the results of Ukraine-EU itself refers to only one reform approved by this document, and that is land reform.
“Then they reminded about the slippage of anti-corruption reforms, judicial reform, law enforcement reforms,” the ex-minister said.
Authorities do not agree with this assessment, but also know that Ukraine’s focus on European integration is not enough: the EU lacks the political will to accept Ukraine. This opinion was expressed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba, opening the 4th Association Exchange Forum.
“We will implement ambitious reforms under difficult conditions. But commitment to these needs requires a clear goal. Therefore, our key expectation from the EU is to give Ukraine a European perspective, “the minister was quoted as saying US press service.
The Minister notes that such a step, in particular, can demonstrate that blackmailing Europe from the Kremlin is not effective: “First, a clear European perspective will be a huge motivation and transformational force for Ukraine. Secondly, it has a significant impact on regional stability in this part of Europe. Third, it will put an end to the Kremlin’s senseless attempts to change Ukraine’s European choice. “
While there is no consensus on Ukraine’s accession to NATO, Ukraine may focus on other instruments of international cooperation for state security, according to the former Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council. Alexander Turchinov.
“It is enough to get a special status of a partner of the United States (the status of a major non-NATO alliance). This is a really promising position for the security of our state. And in this direction you need to ask…. It is time to provide Ukraine with a MAP (NATO Membership Action Plan). It was a more politically demonstrative step towards Putin’s potential aggression, “Turchynov said.