Ukraine's accession to the EU, a path strewn with pitfalls

A first step towards Ukraine's accession to the European Union.

President Volodymyr Zelensky handed his country's entry questionnaire to the bloc to the EU ambassador to Ukraine, Matti Maasikas, on Monday 18 April. 

"Our people are, deep down, already mentally in Europe for a long time," the Ukrainian leader said during the meeting in kyiv. "We are truly convinced that this procedure will be initiated in the coming weeks." is a priority for our state, for the power of our people", added Wednesday April 20 Volodymyr Zelensky in front of the press, after a meeting with Charles Michel.

Having entered into resistance against the Russian invader, Ukraine enjoys strong support from the European Union, which delivers arms and military equipment to its army and has imposed severe economic sanctions against Russia.

However, despite kyiv's insistent demands, the country's integration into the EU is far from unanimous among its members. 

A process over 30 years old 

The question of Ukraine's accession to the European Union is not new.

Already in 1993, two years after the fall of the USSR, the Ukrainian government described joining the European bloc as a long-term objective.

While several partnership agreements have since been signed with the EU, the accession procedure has remained dormant.

Relaunched in 2005 by President Viktor Yushchenko, it had been abandoned by his successor Viktor Yanukovych, close to Moscow.

The EU, for its part, was reluctant to such a procedure, fearing that it would exacerbate tensions with Russia. 

The Russian military offensive against Ukraine, launched on February 24, brutally upset this status quo.

On February 28, Volodymyr Zelensky – who had, since his inauguration in May 2019, affirmed “having chosen the path of Europe” – presented a request for the accelerated integration of his country within the EU.

“Our goal is to be together with all Europeans and, above all, to be on an equal footing.

I'm sure that's right.

I'm sure we deserve it,” he said then, saying that Ukrainian soldiers are fighting “for all of Europe”. 

"Immediate" integration rejected

The procedure for integration into the European Union is a two-step process.

To be eligible to apply, the country must first meet the membership requirements.

This component alone can already take several years.

Only then does the work of bringing the country into compliance with EU rules and regulations begin.

For example, the integration process of Croatia, the last country to join the EU, took ten years. 

Given the circumstances and the clear commitment of his European partners behind Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky hoped to be able to obtain "immediate" integration.

But on March 10, the leaders of the EU meeting in Versailles oppose him an end of inadmissibility.

There is “no quick procedure”, says Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Ukraine, like its two neighbors – Moldova and Georgia, which submitted membership applications at the beginning of March – will have to follow the tedious protocol. 

Europe divided 

In Europe, the accession of Ukraine arouses many reservations.

"We have to be vigilant. Can we open an accession procedure with a country at war? I don't think so", declared Emmanuel Macron, during the meeting dedicated to Ukraine on 10 and 11 March.

To submit an application for membership include criteria such as having “stable institutions” and a “functional market economy”, two requirements undermined by the current context in Ukraine. 

The issue of corruption also plays against the country.

In 2022, Ukraine ranks 122nd out of 180 in the corruption perception index, behind Zambia, Egypt and even the Philippines.

“This scourge remains a major problem in Ukraine, despite initiatives taken by the EU to reduce opportunities for corruption,” reads a report by the European Court of Auditors from September 2021. 

However, kyiv's candidacy enjoys several strong supporters within the bloc.

Nine Member States of the European Union (Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Hungary) have declared themselves in favor of the immediate opening of negotiations .

Other support and not the least, that of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

On a visit to kyiv on April 8, she hand-delivered the membership questionnaire to the Ukrainian leader. 

Usually, obtaining EU candidate status "takes years" but Brussels "really gave us the opportunity to start this procedure within a few weeks or months", welcomed Volodymyr Zelensky, on April 18, after submitting the file. 

For the Ukrainian leader, however, the work has only just begun.

The European Commission must now verify that Ukraine meets the criteria and submit a recommendation to the Member States, so that negotiations for compliance can begin.

The accession of Ukraine must, moreover, obtain the unanimous agreement of 27 members of the EU.

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