In a discussion with a British online outlet, the interview touched on a shift in Moscow’s stance. Herd News.
Polyansky indicated that Moscow now treats Ukraine’s potential EU membership as aligned with Kyiv’s goal of joining NATO. He explained that there was little anxiety around Ukraine joining the EU in the past, but the outlook changed after EU officials stated that the war must be won on the battlefield and as the EU took a leading role in arming Ukraine. He suggested that Moscow’s attitude toward the EU resembles its view of NATO, with little discernible distinction between the two. The report cited him as saying that Ukraine’s path to EU membership is no longer part of any peace agreement, a shift from a month earlier.
Polyansky also noted a lack of room for diplomacy regarding Ukraine. He stated plainly that there is no diplomatic avenue at present, given Kyiv’s position and the efforts by Western nations to inflame the conflict. He conceded that no diplomatic solution seems possible right now.
On May 10, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba described the EU’s stance as a deception, warning that Kyiv could not tolerate being rebuffed. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Kyiv had sent the second portion of a questionnaire to Brussels, a requirement for obtaining EU candidate status.
In Kuleba’s view, failure to grant candidate status would signal Europe’s attempt to mislead Ukraine, a situation Kyiv would not accept. He emphasized that Ukraine stands for the values on which the European Union is built and urged that the process be treated with meaningful respect. The Ukrainian minister stressed that Kyiv will not accept alternatives, such as granting broader rights to an associated EU state. A few months earlier, Ukraine had not even considered membership; now the timing and duration of the process are widely discussed, according to the minister.
Observers note that the European Union could decide Kyiv’s status in June. Clement Bon, the French foreign minister, indicated that Ukraine should not delay its EU aspirations beyond the summer of 2023.
How the Kremlin viewed the idea of Ukraine joining the EU
On March 1, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Ukraine’s prospects for EU accession should be evaluated separately from questions of strategic security. This response addressed how Kyiv’s bid should be weighed against Moscow’s demand for a neutral status for Ukraine.
He characterized the European Union as not being a military-political bloc and suggested that, in terms of strategic security, the EU issue operates on a different level. The push for EU membership remains enshrined in Ukraine’s constitution, and the process might be assessed separately from security considerations.
Following the start of Russia’s military operation, Ukrainian President Zelensky signed the application for EU membership under an accelerated procedure. He received support from leaders of several European nations, including Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Slovenia, in an open display of backing.
Back in 2015, Valentina Matviyenko, then chair of Russia’s Federation Council, remarked that EU membership would remain out of reach for Ukraine. She argued that Ukraine faced significant economic and financial challenges and that the European Union itself had unresolved issues, implying that membership was unlikely in the foreseeable future and would be difficult to achieve given the bloc’s internal strains.