Before the EU summit
Broad support for candidate status for Ukraine
Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg’s foreign minister, expects a large unanimity on the EU membership prospects for Ukraine at the EU summit at the end of the week. Photo: Stefan Puchner/dpa
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The candidate status for Ukraine could send a clear signal of Europe’s willingness to support it. The decision will be made at the EU summit at the end of the week.
Shortly before the decisive EU summit at the end of the week, there are signs of broad support among the EU states for the prospect of EU membership for Ukraine and Moldova.
There is currently not a single country causing problems, said Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn on Tuesday at the sidelines of an EU meeting in Luxembourg. There will be great unanimity.
The French Secretary of State for Europe, Clement Beaune, as the current Chairman of the EU Council of Ministers for Europe, also expressed his confidence. “I think a consensus is forming right now,” he said. He is optimistic, but also cautious, because unanimity is required for heads of state and government summits.
Should membership be subject to conditions?
For example, it is still unclear whether EU states such as Austria, Slovenia and Croatia will link their approval of the EU accession candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova to progress in efforts to expand the EU to include the Western Balkans. Specifically, there are calls, among other things, for Bosnia-Herzegovina to be granted the status of an EU accession candidate.
On Friday, the EU Commission recommended officially nominating Ukraine and Moldova as candidates for accession to the European Union. The decision on candidate status must now be made by the governments of the 27 EU countries. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and his colleagues are meeting in Brussels this Thursday to discuss the topic.
Germany is clearly in favor of candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova. A clear signal must be sent that the countries belong in the EU, said European Minister of State Anna Lührmann (Greens) on Tuesday in Luxembourg.