The European Union must initiate internal changes to prepare for Ukraine’s accession, including a series of deep reforms. Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, stated this in an interview with The Guardian.
At the same time, the EU should consider “all options” to help Ukraine on this path, particularly with the abolition of trade tariffs and giving Ukraine access to the internal markets of the EU before it becomes a full member of the union.
“If they go fast, we have to match this speed,” Metsola explained and said that she expects the start of official negotiations on joining the European Union with Ukraine by Christmas.
Metsola also called for changes in the European Union to prepare for the acceptance of new members. In particular, countries applying for membership must have access to certain advantages, such as free-roaming or removing trade barriers.
“We have been saying for years that Ukraine cannot be connected to the European power grid. Once the war started, it took us a matter of days to do it. In the end, it always depended on political will,” Metsola said.
In October, Ukraine must prepare a public report on reforming the judicial system, curbing corruption and opening markets. EU ministers should decide on the start of official negotiations on Ukraine’s accession in December.
“I expect a concrete result because the worst signal can be that we set goals and deadlines for these people that we cannot fulfill ourselves,” said the president of the European Parliament.
Previously, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told EU ambassadors during a private conversation that the European Union needs to expand its borders to recognize new geopolitical realities.
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