EU leaders back Ukraine but balk at fast-track
membership
After hours of debate over Russia’s war, summit
pledges to help refugees and deliver robust aid.
BY DAVID M.
HERSZENHORN AND JACOPO BARIGAZZI
March 11,
2022 5:37 am
https://www.politico.eu/article/euco-versailles-summit-ukraine-russia-eu/
VERSAILLES,
France — EU leaders on Friday condemned Russia for “unprovoked and unjustified
military aggression” and pledged unwavering support for Ukraine and for
refugees fleeing the war, but they stopped short of putting Kyiv on a fast
track to EU membership as requested by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
In a
statement published after hours of debate at a European Council summit at the
Palace of Versailles, the leaders “acknowledged the European aspirations and
the European choice of Ukraine” and noted that its membership application had
been “swiftly” transmitted to the European Commission for “its opinion” — the
initial stage of a long process toward being declared a candidate country and
beginning membership talks.
However,
they also signaled a willingness to bring Ukraine closer to the EU politically
while that process takes place: “Pending this and without delay, we will
further strengthen our bonds and deepen our partnership to support Ukraine in
pursuing its European path. Ukraine belongs to our European family.”
The
statement was published shortly after 3 a.m., at the end of the first day of
the two-day summit. There was no immediate reaction from the Ukrainian
government.
While the
statement was unequivocal in voicing the EU’s intention to help Ukraine,
including with political and financial assistance and temporary protection for
refugees, it did not offer the guarantee of membership that Zelenskyy had
requested.
A number of
EU countries, led by the Netherlands, had insisted that there was no way to
shortcut the lengthy accession process, even for Ukraine, which is under active
military attack by Russia.
“I think we
all acknowledged the enormously difficult situation Ukraine is in,” Dutch Prime
Minister Mark Rutte said as he left the summit venue in the early hours of
Friday morning. “Everyone is really shocked.”
Rutte
insisted that the EU was already treating Ukraine’s application with
unprecedented speed, but he said the Commission’s assessment “will take time —
months, maybe years, before you get to anything.”
The leaders
pledged an array of other assistance for Ukraine. European Council President
Charles Michel highlighted a proposal to provide an additional €500 million in
assistance through the EU’s so-called European Peace Facility, which is being
used to provide military aid to Kyiv.
The leaders
also promised to help rebuild Ukraine after the war — presuming the country
still exists and has not been occupied by Russian President Vladimir Putin and
his forces.
“We are
committed to provide support for the reconstruction of a democratic Ukraine
once the Russian onslaught has ceased,” the leaders stated. “We are determined
to increase even further our pressure on Russia and Belarus. We have adopted
significant sanctions and remain ready to move quickly with further sanctions.”
Lithuanian
President Gitanas Nausėda, whose country had advocated approving Ukraine’s
membership bid on an expedited basis, tried to portray the outcome as a major
breakthrough. “A historic night at Versailles,” he tweeted. “After five hours
of heated discussions, EU leaders said yes to Ukrainian eurointegration.”
That
general “yes,” however, was never in much doubt. The specifics were fudged
through bureaucratic language.
On the
treatment of Ukraine’s membership application, the leaders’ statement made
reference to “the relevant provisions” of the EU treaties.
That
allowed countries favoring Ukraine’s membership bid to claim a victory of sorts
as the treaties set out the procedure for joining the bloc.
But the
treaties also set out many other things — including the criteria for membership
and the fact that countries can only join the EU with the unanimous consent of
all existing members.
In their
statement, the leaders also noted that the Council had asked the Commission to
issue an opinion on membership applications from Moldova and Georgia.
Suzanne
Lynch and Giorgio Leali contributed reporting.
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