EU’s Costa says Ukraine joining bloc by 2030 not ruled out
The top official stated this during today’s discussion at the European Policy Centre (EPC) on the occasion of the 68th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, which became the basis for the creation of the EU, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
“The best security guarantee for Ukraine is the European accession and we are in the good path and the assessment from the European Commission is very positive about what Ukrainians are doing to prepare for the accession. (…) [I]t is very impressive to see how a country in war, in this terrible situation, has the ability to deliver on reforms and on convergence targets to access to the European Union. I don't know if it is in 2030, 2028, 2032, I don't know. But it is a merit-based process and they are delivering. That perhaps could be earlier, can be only in 2030, I don't know. The main issue is not the date, it is the process and the common will to achieve this,” Costa emphasized.
At the same time, he noted that the EU should already prepare to participate in the future reconstruction of Ukraine. According to Costa, the European Council instructed the European Commission to explore the possibility of forming a broad “coalition of the willing” to join the process, which will require great collective efforts and investments from the entire European Community.
The President of the European Council stressed that any peace talks should also include the use of frozen Russian assets and source of reparations payments to Ukraine by the aggressor state.
He noted the importance of ensuring that “in the future we have not just a lasting peace, but also a just peace, because we cannot reward the aggression”
“Because this war, in fact, is not only about Ukraine. It is about the rules-based order. It is about respect of the United Nations Charter. And the message we are sending to the world is the international law must prevail, and aggression cannot be rewarded," Costa added.
He noted that consistent and determined work on EU enlargement, assistance to the Western Balkan states, Ukraine, and Moldova on the path to membership, is currently the best geopolitical investment that the European Union can make.
As reported, during the European Council on March 20, EU leaders reaffirmed Ukraine's inalienable right to determine its own fate based on the UN Charter and international law, and readiness to more intensively support Ukraine on its path to EU membership, based on achievements in reforms.
