By KYIV. Nov 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – European Union Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova has said that no one can name specific dates for Ukraine’s accession to the EU, but indicated that Kyiv is breaking all records and a lot will depend on it.
Mathernova said at a press conference on Thursday in Kyiv that yesterday in the Verkhovna Rada she said that there was nothing ordinary when it came to Ukraine and EU enlargement. Ukraine is breaking all records. Ukraine sent the questionnaire in two weeks. This has never happened in history. Therefore, no one can give a time frame, but a lot will depend on Ukraine. But also, and this is what we need to remember, it is not just about Ukraine’s will and ability to reform during a war, as impressive as that may be, but also about the ability of the European Union to reform itself, she said.
She noted that the expansion process is not physical, so there are no mathematical formulas that would determine it.
According to Mathernova, for enlargement you need essentially two main elements. One is political will on both sides and technical capabilities on both sides, again. And when some of these elements are missing, it can be delayed, the ambassador explained.
In addition, Mathernova recalled that this is the first decade in the history of the European Union (from 2013 to 2023) in which there was no EU enlargement. According to her, this was both due to the lack of reforms, but also mainly due to the lack of political will.
The ambassador said that the EU did not want to enlarge, and the terrible war and the terrible price Ukrainians are paying actually created the momentum and implementation. So now we are in a new reality with a new impetus for enlargement. So, just as Ukraine will be able to quickly do technical work, it will also push the political process, she added.
