Von der Leyen visits Kiev

Von der Leyen visits Kiev

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has arrived in Ukraine for her sixth visit since the Russian attack over 20 months ago. She intends to hold talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky on the country's progress towards joining the European Union. The visit had not been announced in advance for security reasons.

The Ukrainian President received von der Leyen at the train station. Together they then awarded medals to railroad employees.

Good to be back in Kyiv for my 6th war time visit.

I’m here to discuss Ukraine’s accession path to the EU.

The EU’s financial support to rebuild Ukraine as a modern, prosperous democracy.

And how we will continue to make Russia pay for its war of aggression. pic.twitter.com/dLJ6bUz4UU— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) November 4, 2023

Next Wednesday, von der Leyen will present reports on Ukraine's reform progress in Brussels. The European Union's heads of state and government will then decide in December whether to start accession negotiations with the government in Kiev on the basis of these reports. The presentation of the reports is the reason for the trip.

Von der Leyen wants to bring "encouragement and encouragement"

On her way to Kiev, the EU Commission President told journalists that she wanted to reassure Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia, "that we stand firmly by its side" and bring it "encouragement and encouragement". In addition to the country's aspirations to join the EU, she will also discuss financial and military support as well as sanctions against Russia.

However, the Commission President and former Federal Minister of Defense also pointed out the dangers of the trip. "Whenever I travel to Ukraine, there is always a certain feeling of tension, of course, because it is a war zone." As always, von der Leyen traveled from Poland to Kiev on a special train. Flights over the territory of Ukraine are still not possible.

EU accession candidate since last summer

The country has been an official candidate for EU accession since last summer. However, the 27 EU member states still have to unanimously agree to start negotiations. A positive vote will be given when Ukraine has fulfilled seven requirements. These include the selection procedure for Ukrainian constitutional judges and a stronger fight against corruption - particularly at a high level. The EU is also demanding that standards in the fight against money laundering are met and that a law against the excessive influence of oligarchs is implemented.

Not all conditions for negotiations yet fulfilled

According to recent reports from Commission circles, Ukraine has made great progress, but it will probably not yet be possible to assess all seven conditions as fully met. It is therefore likely to recommend that the EU states decide to start accession negotiations, but only set the first negotiation date once all reform requirements have been met.

In doing so, the EU Commission would also be accommodating all those EU states who believe that progress in the EU accession process should be completely performance-related. They argue that there could be great frustration, particularly in the accession candidate countries in the Western Balkans, if the approach based on reform progress is now deviated from for political reasons. They are opposed by Central and Eastern European states in particular, which see the start of negotiations as a necessary geopolitical investment and argue that the hope of EU accession is also a motivating factor in the fight against the Russian aggressors.

Reforms should enable enlargement

In principle, many in the EU believe that the accession of large countries such as Ukraine can only be a success if there have been internal reforms beforehand. The decision-making processes in the area of foreign policy, for example, are already very cumbersome in some cases because the principle of unanimity generally applies.

In addition, Ukraine's huge agricultural sector would probably necessitate a comprehensive reform of EU agricultural subsidies. EU experts recently calculated that without changes, EU funds totaling 186 billion euros would flow into Ukraine over a budget period of seven years.

1. During her visit to Kiev, Ursula von der Leyen discussed with President Volodymyr Zelensky about Ukraine's progress towards EU accession, emphasizing the importance of meeting the necessary reforms to commence negotiations.
2. As an EU accession candidate since last summer, Ukraine needs to fulfill seven requirements set by the EU, including the selection procedure for constitutional judges, fighting corruption, and meeting standards in the fight against money laundering, in order to start accession negotiations.
3. Even though Ukraine has made significant progress, recent reports suggest that all seven conditions may not be fully met yet, indicating that the EU Commission might recommend starting negotiations but set the first date once all requirements are met.
4. Ursula von der Leyen aimed to reassure Ukraine during her visit, emphasizing the EU's support for the country, not only in its EU accession process but also in addressing conflicts with Russia through diplomacy and sanctions.

Source: www.dpa.com