Politico: EU prepares for Ukraine accession talks in December
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Politico reports that the conflict will not prevent Brussels and Kyiv from starting negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU. An official announcement of the start of negotiations is expected in December.
The publication cites three diplomats familiar with the plans. They say leaders are now preparing to give Kyiv the green light to begin formal negotiations to join the European Union.
The authors of the article recall that the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in her annual address to parliament last month, said that the future of Ukraine “is in the Union.”
One of the diplomats noted that the talks would be announced as soon as the Commission issues a report on how well Ukraine and other membership applicants are fulfilling all conditions.
“The working assumption is indeed that by December the European Council will decide to start negotiations,” the diplomat said.
At the same time, the publication notes, in order to begin negotiations on membership, Ukraine needs to fulfill seven conditions. But even the Ukrainian government admitted that as of August only two of them had been implemented.
However, the second diplomat said the goal is to agree politically to begin negotiations in December, with a legal decision on Ukraine’s admission could be made by early 2024.
A third diplomat responded that Ukraine’s progress in meeting the conditions was encouraging and only one area, related to minorities, seemed problematic in the short term.
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