EU Commissioners Visit Ukraine
The Oasis Reporters
February 3, 2023
By Foreign Policy
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and 15 commissioners went to Ukraine on Thursday. The purpose of the trip was to boost EU-Ukraine relations. Ukraine hopes to one day join the European Union, but EU member states remain concerned about corruption and the health of Ukrainian democracy. This was the first EU political visit of its kind to a country at war.
🔴LIVE: Zelensky and Von der Leyen speak at EU-Ukraine Summit in Kyiv https://t.co/xIkt5oMa0v
— FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) February 3, 2023
In an email, Assia Ivantcheva and Tania Bulakh of the National Endowment for Democracy described the trip to Foreign Policy as “a clear message of unity and solidarity with Ukraine; and demonstration of EU’s commitment to supporting Ukraine in all areas, from political and economic, to humanitarian and military aid.”
“Russia’s war on Ukraine has changed both the EU and Ukraine,” Ivantcheva and Bulakh wrote. “It has reinvigorated the EU in an unprecedented manner, fostering political will among member states to defend sovereignty, democracy, and EU values … In Ukraine, the desire to join the EU and NATO has never been stronger across the board.”
The Associated Press reported that Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn, who did not make the trip, said “Ukraine’s destiny is in Europe,” but added that “the EU accession path is a marathon, not a sprint.” As the AP noted, the war—and the economic challenges it has presented to Ukraine—potentially limit the rate at which Ukraine can possibly implement reforms.
Still, recent weeks have shown a commitment by the Ukrainian government to tackling corruption, with Ukrainian journalists and watchdog groups exposing corruption and Zelensky’s administration responding to the accusations. This week, still more high-ranking officials were dismissed in response to allegations of corruption.
“As some of our Ukrainian partners say ‘we need to win the war, but we also need to win the peace,’” wrote Ivantcheva and Bulakh, adding “for them success means not just a military victory, but also building a stronger democratic system.”
FP
With France24
