“We were not very worried about Ukraine’s accession to the EU before. The situation has changed”

In an interview with the British online publication, he spoke about the change in Moscow’s position. Herd News.

According to Polyansky, Moscow now considers accepting Ukraine into the EU on a par with Kiev’s desire to join NATO.

“We were not very worried about Ukraine’s accession to the EU before. But the situation changed after Mr. Borrell declared that “this war must be won on the battlefield”. And after the EU became the leader in the supply of weapons to Ukraine. I think our stance towards the EU is now more like a stance towards NATO. We don’t see much difference between them,” said Polyansky (quoted by Kommersant).

“The diplomat reiterated that Ukraine’s EU membership is no longer part of any draft peace deal… Although it was different a month ago,” the article states.

Polyansky also said he sees no opportunity for diplomacy in the direction of Ukraine.

“At this stage, frankly, I do not see any opportunity for a diplomatic solution, given Ukraine’s position and attempts by Western countries to inflame this conflict. “I have to admit, there is no opportunity for diplomacy right now,” he said.

On May 10, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said it was a “deception” and that if the EU refused to accept Ukraine, Kiev could not stand it. Prior to that, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Kiev sent the second part of the questionnaire to Brussels, which must be filled in order to obtain candidate status for EU membership.

“If we don’t get candidate country status, it will mean only one thing – Europe is trying to deceive us. And we’re not going to put up with that. Ukraine is the only place in Europe where people die for the values ​​on which the European Union is based. “I think it should be treated with respect,” Kuleba told the Financial Times.

According to the Ukrainian minister, Kyiv will not accept alternative options – for example, the expansion of the rights of an EU-associated state.

“Three months ago, our country didn’t even have any hope of membership. “Now the question of how long it will take is being discussed,” said the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.

The European Union may decide on Kiev’s status in June. Clement Bon, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also said that Ukraine should not wait until at least the summer of 2023 to join the EU.

How did the Kremlin interpret the idea of ​​Ukraine in the EU?

On March 1, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Ukraine’s prospects for accession to the European Union should be considered separately from strategic security issues. Thus, he answered the question of how consistent Kiev’s application was with Moscow’s request for a neutral status for Ukraine.

“The European Union is not a military-political bloc. In this context, in terms of strategic security, this issue is on a different plane.” – The emphasis on EU accession in the Ukrainian constitution is fixed in writing. Perhaps this process should be considered separately.

After the start of the military special operation of the Russian Federation, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky signed the application for admission to the EU under the accelerated procedure. The president of Ukraine was supported in an open letter by the presidents of Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia.

In 2015, the Chairman of the Federation Council, Valentina Matviyenko, said that joining the European Union is an unattainable goal for Ukraine.

“In the foreseeable future, Ukraine will not be able to become a member of the EU. This is a “carrot” hung for bait but out of reach. A country that is in a difficult situation economically and financially with a population of more than 40 million will no longer be accepted. We must not forget the problems of the European Union itself. Therefore, in the next decades Ukraine has no chance of being there, ”said Matvienko.