Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Netanyahu: If Lebanese Army takes steps to disarm Hezbollah, Israel will engage in reciprocal measures, including phased reduction of Israeli military presence in Lebanon
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Photojournalist Houssam Al-Masri martyred, reporters Hatem Omar, Mohammad Ashraf Salameh injured in Israeli strike on Nasser Medical Complex.
Israeli media: Intense US efforts are being made to resolve differences, such as the issue of the Israeli presence on Mount Hermon and in southern Syria
Israeli media: The security agreement means amending the disengagement agreement, which will also address the Druze issue
Israeli media: Attempts to reach a security agreement between 'Israel' and Syria were among the topics discussed at the Paris meeting
Israeli media: Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif rejected a US proposal to join the recent tripartite meeting between Tom Barrack, al-Shaibani, and Dermer
Saba News Agency: Two martyred, five injured in a preliminary toll of the Israeli aggression on the Yemeni Oil Company station on Al-Sitteen Street in Sanaa
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: We observed a state of confusion among the enemy's aircraft squadron after Yemeni air defenses intercepted the attack
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: The Yemeni air defense forces succeeded in neutralizing a squadron of enemy aircraft and prevented airstrikes on some governorates
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: Our air defenses and missile forces forced a formation of enemy aircraft to flee the airspace

The European Union not prepared to let Ukraine in

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Foreign Policy
  • 17 Jul 2023 20:13
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

A country with already low-income levels and a high need for reconstruction as a result of the war would call for a major reform of EU institutions, policies, and financing processes.

  • x
  • Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky hosted EU leaders Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen for a summit in Kyiv on February 3, 2023 (AP)
    Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky hosted EU leaders Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen for a summit in Kiev on February 3, 2023 (AP)

Earlier this year in February, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Brussels, leaders came together for a photo-op with Zelensky followed by a tweet from European Council President Charles Michel greeting him with: “Welcome home, welcome to the EU.”

Ukraine has been pressed and has been pressing to join the EU and to showcase that it is ready, it has been adopting new laws and implementing regulations such as media laws required for the bloc's membership. 

Ukraine, alongside Moldova, received EU candidate status in June 2022, and it is due to receive the first written progress assessment from the European Commission this October. As that timeframe was drastically shorter than it would normally take to join the EU candidacy list, Ukraine is urging for the official start of negotiations by the end of this year. The session could possibly coincide (or intentionally meet) at a European Council meeting due in December.

Back in December last year, however, Annalena Baerbock, German Foreign Minister, stated that Ukraine's accession to the EU will a be long and difficult process, although the EU will support Ukraine throughout. 

Read next: Danish FM: Don't 'lower the bar' to help Ukraine join the EU

A few months earlier in May, France's Europe minister, Clement Beaune, reportedly said Ukraine's EU membership was "15 or 20 years" away from being realized.

Related News

EU trade deal shows submission to US pressure: Borrell

Majority of Germans disapprove of von der Leyen role in US-EU deal

"We have to be honest. If you say Ukraine is going to join the EU in six months, or a year or two, you're lying," Beaune said, speaking to a local radio station. "It's probably in 15 or 20 years, it takes a long time."

A bigger division 

However, to bring in a country with an already low-income level, high population, and high need for reconstruction as a result of the war would call for a major reform of EU institutions, policies, and financing processes. This process alone would create an ever bigger division between current member states. 

The EU budget is already dominated by two major elements - agricultural subsidies and development projects in poorer nations, which when combined make for around 65% of the EU’s long-term budget. Ukraine is one of the poorest nations in Europe, with a per capita income of almost one-tenth of the EU average and even less than half that of the EU’s poorest nation, Bulgaria. 

Member states of the EU may even create a divide between them and the bloc since for example, cheaper Ukrainian goods are threatening farmers in Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia. With that said, Poland unilaterally blocked Ukrainian grain from entering the country - violating EU rules. As a result, the EU intervened to compromise by allowing Ukrainian produce to enter the EU, but it must go through five Eastern European nations most affected by the agricultural competition. 

Read more: Grain deal suspension is 'final', no more talks: Russia

An IBRiS poll conducted last week for the Rzeczpospolita newspaper reveals that 47.7% of the Polish oppose Ukraine's current NATO membership while 40% support immediate membership.

The Pew Research Center poll showed on Sunday that only 11% of respondents in Hungary, 28% of those polled in Greece, and 38% of participants in Italy expressed confidence in Zelensky’s actions on the international level, while the majority have serious doubts about the Ukrainian leader.

According to a Eurobarometer study on Sunday as well, the least amount of support for Kiev was demonstrated in Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, and Slovakia.

  • Ursula von der Leyen
  • Volodymyr Zelensky
  • Charles Michel
  • Ukraine
  • European Union

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Displaced Palestinians walk through a makeshift camp along the beach in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)

Hamas, other factions accept Egypt-Qatar ceasefire proposal: Exclusive

  • Politics
  • 18 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS