Reuters Reporting: Many European Diplomats Privately See Ukraine's EU Accession as Unrealistic in the Next Few Years, as Poll Support Falls to 47 Percent
BRUSSELS, Nov. 11 — Joining the European Union soon is an important aim for Ukraine as it tries to complete its exit from Moscow's orbit, but a Reuters report published on November 11 found deepening scepticism inside the wealthy bloc of 450 million people about Kyiv's prospects. More than a dozen diplomats and officials from EU states were privately more cautious in conversations with Reuters. One senior European diplomat, speaking anonymously, said Ukraine's accession was not a realistic prospect in the next few years; another said many governments will be too busy with national elections next year to make the case for enlarging the bloc.
Gerald Knaus, chairman of the European Stability Initiative think tank, said that travelling around Europe, one realises many politicians do not expect Ukraine to join in 10 years. But he warned that any message that the EU is not serious about Ukraine's accession could have a demoralising effect on the country that nobody in Europe wants to see.
Public support is cooling as well. A survey published in October by the Bertelsmann Stiftung foundation found that only 47 percent of EU residents say Ukraine should join in the coming years, down from 69 percent in March 2022. In France and Poland, 57 percent of those polled opposed Ukrainian membership in the coming years, and in Germany the figure was 59 percent. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi responded that some scepticism in the EU was to be expected, but added that getting Ukraine inside the European Union is beneficial for the European Union.
Reuters noted that even in straightforward cases, accession takes years of negotiations and legal reforms, and Kyiv faces additional challenges including uncertainty about the outcome of the war, a history of deep-rooted corruption and Ukraine's large size. Membership must be approved by all 27 EU states, and France would be likely to hold a referendum on Ukraine's bid.
(Source: Reuters)
Source: Reuters
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：欧盟委员会总部 Berlaymont 大楼亮起乌克兰国旗颜色灯光。CC BY 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Berlaymont building, headquarters of the European Commission, illuminated in the colours of the Ukrainian flag. CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
