Prime Minister Denis Shmygal has claimed his country is uniquely deserving to join the bloc and won’t bring problems with it Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal © Daniel MIHAILESCU / AFP
Ukraine deserves complete accession to the EU and will not accept any substitute proposed by incumbent member states who envision a tiered system of candidates. Prime Minister Denis Shmygal reiterated Kiev’s position in an interview published by Politico on Thursday.
“We want to be a fully-fledged member because Ukraine today is the unique country across the world that has paid such a huge price for its will to become a European Union member,” the senior official told the outlet.
Earlier this month, a report commissioned by France and Germany recommended breaking down the EU’s expansion process into more phases to “ensure a merit-based approach and to manage potential conflicts.” A four-tiered system ranking nations from “inner circle” down to a “European Political Community” was proposed.
Eight nations and the breakaway Serbian province of Kosovo currently have active talks with the EU about possible accession. National leaders will discuss enlargement and reform plans during a summit in Granada, Spain next week.
Shmygal emphasized that Ukraine is not aiming for a lower-tier status and anticipates full membership within two years. In explaining what sets Ukraine apart, he pointed to the significant and widesp
Joseph Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, noted in an interview with The Guardian last week that Ukraine “would be the only country that would be a net beneficiary” should it be granted membership. He added, however, that Kiev’s inclusion in the bloc would also end a “sleeping siesta” period for enlargement. (RT)