Ireland wants Ukraine to join EU as soon as possible

Ireland supports Ukraine's rapid accession to the European Union, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney has said.

The German business news outlet Handelsblatt quoted the politician as saying, Ukrinform reports.

Coveney said in Dublin that a country that is now literally fighting for its survival against a military superpower should be able to hope for full EU membership, rather than some partial membership or a neighborhood agreement.

He noted that many Ukrainians are motivated by the dream of a different future, the future that people have today in the EU, from the point of view of peace, stability, prosperity, democracy and everything that follows from this.

Coveney added that in addition to Ukraine, other states, such as the Balkan countries or the former Soviet republics of Moldova and Georgia, should also benefit from EU enlargement.

He also said that Ireland is one of the EU countries calling for stronger sanctions against Russia. Russia's war of aggression is a gross violation of international law. This aggression in Europe is so extreme that Ireland wants to see as strong a response to sanctions as possible, even at great cost to a country that imposes those sanctions, he said.