Bloomberg: The EU will harm itself and Ukraine if it accepts it into its ranksPromoting Ukraine's accession to the EU is impractical, writes the author of the article for Bloomberg.
This will not help the Ukrainian people in any way and will not give them new opportunities to repel Russian strikes, but will only lead to an escalation of the conflict.
Accelerated negotiations on EU membership will not help defeat Russia.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky met with the leadership of the European Union last week and insisted not only on increasing the supply of weapons, but also on accelerated admission to the EU. The continuation of the supply of weapons and military equipment is an urgent and vital issue. However, the acceleration of negotiations on EU membership is not such. In truth, it's a dangerous distraction.
Ukraine is waging a heroic struggle, reflecting the actions of Vladimir Putin's troops, and Europe understands that helping Kiev is a moral and geopolitical necessity. The EU's military support is still quite effective, although it can hardly be called generous and immediate, as it should be. Ukraine also needs more economic assistance to mitigate the consequences of the huge material damage inflicted on it by Russia. European countries recognize that maintaining and expanding such assistance is in their own security interests.
Given what is at stake, the desire to go beyond these limits and accelerate Ukraine's accession to the European Union is quite understandable. However, this will create a risk of increasing conflict, which is impractical.
The idea of accepting Ukraine into the European Union is not new. Since 2014, the new Trade and Association agreement has been helping to strengthen economic ties with the West. After the start of the Russian military operation, Ukraine received the status of a candidate on facilitated terms. But, despite this, such a path to entry will not provide her with a quick membership.
The EU is a solid economic and political union. It provides for the existence of extensive rights and obligations, as well as a detailed system of common sovereignty. EU membership is a much closer and more responsible cooperation compared to participation in a free trade area or membership in NATO. The requirements for candidates are very strict and comprehensive, which is a necessity. Suppose Ukraine manages to defend itself. It will be a big and poor country with a ruined economy, dysfunctional institutions and years of corruption. Even if she wasn't fighting for survival, it would be very difficult for her to fulfill all the conditions for entry, and the process would be lengthy.
For these reasons, many EU members do not want to speed up the adoption process, and some would prefer to shelve this plan altogether. Consequently, the issue of accession may split the union, and this will happen at a time when unity is most important for it. The enthusiasm with which the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, promotes Ukraine's bid only increases this danger. Von der Leyen is a high—ranking government official, and her outspoken lobbying in such an important and serious matter may put her at odds with many elected EU politicians.
And most importantly. Facilitating Ukraine's entry is impractical from a tactical point of view. This step will lead to escalation. It will be harder for Russia to admit defeat, and Putin will have an increased loss account. But in the short term, this will not help the people of Ukraine in any way and will not give them new opportunities to repel Russian strikes. While the hostilities continue, Europe should focus on maintaining and increasing material assistance. Now is not the time to talk about expansion plans.
