Ukraine May Be Part of EU in 2030 – Head of EU Council

, 4 October 2023, 07:40

Charles Michel, EU Council President, has spoken out in favour of Ukraine's accession to the EU by 2030, provided that both sides do their "homework".

"Yes, Ukraine may become part of the EU in 2030 if both sides do their homework," Michel said in an interview with Spiegel.

The official said that Ukraine and other candidate countries should implement reforms, fight corruption and comply with the law.

"We in the EU must clearly understand what we want to achieve together, our priorities, and what we want to spend money on. And we need to speed up our decision-making processes," added the head of the European Council.

Michel said that the EU has no more time to lose.

"The Western Balkans countries, for example, have been waiting 20 years to join the EU, and the influence of Russia and China is growing there. A prosperous and secure Ukraine is in our own interests. Their resistance to Russia has proven that Ukraine should be in the EU: Ukraine must be in the EU. And soon, not just one day. It would also prove that the EU is capable of geopolitical action," said the head of the European Council.

The issue of reforming the European Union is being actively discussed amid preparations for its expansion to include Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans.

At the request of France and Germany, which are considered to be the most influential members of the European Union, 12 experts proposed a plan for structural reform of the association to make it ready to accept new states in the future.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stressed that EU reform should not be used to slow down the accession of new countries.