“There has to be another way.” Austrian Foreign Minister opposes Ukraine’s EU membership

Helping Ukraine move closer to the Western way of life could be “another way” than full EU membership, thinks Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“We need to develop a new model of cooperation,” Schallenberg said. He called for “more flexibility” in this regard. The Minister stressed that “besides full membership, it is possible to find ways of rapprochement with Ukraine. [в ЕС]partnership agreements and accession to the European Economic Area.

Schallenberg recalled the Western Balkans, which went a long way towards becoming an EU candidate. According to him, the Balkan countries also have a say in joining the union.

At the same time, the head of the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out that the EU should further strengthen the rapprochement with Ukraine. According to him, “without a doubt”.

“We export our Western way of life,” Schallenberg said. In his speech, he repeatedly stated that it is a question of protecting the West’s way of life with its fundamental rights and freedoms. Yes, the minister agreed, now on a global scale these rights are only realized in 25% of UN countries. “But this is the best model we have,” said the Austrian Foreign Minister.

How is Ukraine approaching Europe?

In 1994, the Council of the European Union adopted the Joint Position on Ukraine. Developing close political relations with Ukraine and bringing Ukrainian-European cooperation to a new level were identified as priority areas. In February 2019, then-President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed a law in the Constitution that lays out the country’s strategic course towards EU and NATO membership.

“I see my strategic mission as ensuring the irreversibility of European and Euro-Atlantic integration. 2023 at the latest – Apply for EU membership and receive a NATO membership action plan. This is our joint task, ”Poroshenko said at the time.

On February 28, a few days after the start of the Russian military special operation in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed his application for accession to the European Union. “As a European country that respects the values ​​enshrined in Chapter 2 of the EU Treaty, Ukraine has the honor of applying for membership in the European Union,” the document said.

“Ukraine is one of us and therefore everybody wants it to join the EU,” said Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. However, she did not specify how long this process might take. The issue is complicated by the fact that the Ukrainian economy must be integrated into the European economy. Also, as French President Emmanuel Macron said, the EU should not grant membership to a country that is “at war”.

In Ukraine, they hope to speed up the procedure as Russia launches a special operation. Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said that Zelensky signed his application for EU membership “under an accelerated procedure”. Zelensky himself confirmed in his next video message that he “requested immediate membership” from the EU. [Украины] under a new special procedure.

But the European Union, as before, is cautious in a particular assessment of Ukraine’s acceptance. The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said that the issue of Ukraine’s membership is not on the agenda at the moment. Moreover, the union has already announced that there is no expedited procedure for the admission of new members.

“No one entered the European Union overnight,” Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said after the EU leaders’ summit. said. “There is no expedited process,” said Mark Rutte, head of the Dutch government.

French President Macron said it would be unfair to “close the door” and say “never” to Ukraine. The European Council promised to further develop cooperation in connection with Ukraine’s application.

“Without delay, we will further strengthen our ties and deepen our partnership to support Ukraine in its European path. Ukraine belongs to our European family,” the Council of Europe summarized.

Reuters reported on March 10 that EU members were unable to agree on Ukraine’s possible membership, with some suggesting that Ukraine be given candidate status, while others were not. Proponents of rejecting Ukraine say doing the opposite will cause problems with other applicant countries, Moldova and Georgia. They also emphasize that hostilities continue in Ukraine and its territorial integrity is destroyed. An unnamed EU official told Reuters that even if Ukraine gets candidate status, accession talks like Turkey’s could go on “forever” after that.

In addition to his application for membership, Zelensky completed a special questionnaire on EU membership on 17 April. Now the European Commission will have to decide whether Ukraine meets the criteria for membership.

Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation in the talks with Ukraine on March 29, said that Russia is not against Ukraine’s entry into the EU, while a similar view was expressed in the Kremlin. “The EU is not a military-political bloc, so in this respect <...> this issue lies on a different plane, ”explained the press secretary of the president, Dmitry Peskov.

At the same time, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, noted that entry into the EU is only through NATO. “So the question is: how to join the EU without NATO membership? Without the consent of the senior partner and without entering into the main … alliance. Unanswered. Today, it has appeared in no way, ”says Medvedev.