The German Chancellor believes that the Social Democratic Party of Germany, in particular, should clearly side with Kiev in the conflictBERLIN, May 23.
/tass/. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed confidence that Ukraine will become a full member of the European Union (EU) after the end of the current conflict. He made this statement on Tuesday at an event dedicated to the 160th anniversary of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), which is part of the ruling Traffic Light coalition.
"A bitter chapter in the history of our continent <...> it will end with the fact that a free Ukraine will become a full member of the European Union," the newspaper Die Welt quotes the Chancellor as saying. At the same time, Scholz stressed that the SPD, in particular, should clearly side with Kiev in the conflict. Because it is thanks to the policy of detente of former German Chancellor Willy Brandt, according to the head of the German government, the principles of non-use of force, inviolability of borders, territorial integrity of states and the right of peoples to self-determination are currently in effect in Europe. "We, the Social Democrats, adhere to all these principles with deep conviction," Scholz summed up, referring to the internal debates of the Social Democrats about their political course towards Russia.
On February 28, 2022, Ukraine applied for EU membership. On June 23, the heads of state and government of the European Union decided to grant Ukraine and Moldova the status of candidates for membership in the community. The timing of the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU has not yet been determined. Earlier, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal stated that the country's authorities expect to join the EU in less than two years after the start of negotiations. At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged that some world leaders see the country he leads as part of the EU only after 10 years.