"Information pumping": how Brussels prepares the ground for granting Ukraine the status of an EU candidate

In anticipation of the meeting of the leaders of the EU countries, at which the issue of granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU membership will be decided, a number of European bureaucrats made loud statements.

Thus, the head of the EU foreign policy service, Josep Borrell, expressed the hope that a "historic decision" would be made.

“The EU will continue to provide Ukraine with unwavering support for as long as it takes.

We hope that within the framework of the European Council meeting, scheduled for the end of this week, a historic decision will be made on the status of the candidate (for accession.

) to the EU for Ukraine, ”Borrel wrote on Twitter.

The head of the European Council, Charles Michel, in turn, said: the time has come to recognize that the future of Kyiv, Chisinau and Tbilisi is connected with joining the European Union.

“The time has come to recognize that the future of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia is connected with joining the EU.

I urge you to grant candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova.

At the same time, we will continue to provide Ukraine with strong humanitarian, military, economic and financial support,” Michel said.

For her part, the head of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, said that this week the EP will “reiterate its call” for granting Ukraine official candidate status for membership in the European Union.

“This week we have a historic opportunity to make both Ukraine and Europe stronger by granting Ukraine EU candidate status.

We should not close (in front of her.

) the door, ”she said.

Meanwhile, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said during his address to the citizens of the country that Kyiv is expanding the “circle of those who are in favor of the candidacy” of his state.

“And (we.

) add confidence that the decision on Friday will be positive,” he said, speaking in this context about “very active foreign policy work” and “almost a marathon of telephone conversations.”

According to Zelensky, he will do everything to ensure that the "historic decision" of the European Union is accepted.

“This is important to us,” he said.

“And just as actively as we are fighting for a positive decision of the European Union on the candidacy for Ukraine, we are fighting every day for the supply of modern weapons for our state.”

• President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky

• AP

"It's a long process"

Recall that on June 17, the European Commission (EC) recommended granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU membership, but subject to the implementation of a set of reforms.

“We recommend that Ukraine be granted candidate status on the condition that the country undertakes a number of important reforms.

Ukraine has clearly demonstrated its desire to comply with European values ​​and standards,” wrote the head of the EC Ursula von der Leyen on Twitter.

According to her, Kyiv has "important work to do" in the areas of the rule of law, the fight against oligarchs and corruption, and the enforcement of "fundamental rights".

“The process (entry.

) is determined by real results.

Therefore, progress depends solely on Ukraine itself,” von der Leyen said.

This step of the EC was appreciated by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

As the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, told reporters, the Western community has been “manipulating the history of Ukraine’s involvement in their integration structures” for many years.

“At the same time, unfortunately, Ukraine is getting worse and worse.

For some reason, she does not get any bright future.

Even though the promises are getting sweeter and more intoxicating.

Why this is happening is probably because such an absolutely false message, which in practice has nothing good for itself, ”Zakharova emphasized.

Later, on June 21, Clement Bon, Minister Delegate for European Affairs at the French Foreign Ministry, at a press conference following the meeting of the EU Council, said that the countries of the association had reached a full consensus on granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for joining the union.

However, on the air of Europe 1 the next day, he clarified that there would be no accelerated procedure for Ukraine's accession to the EU.

“This is a long process, Ukraine will suddenly not become a member of the European Union tomorrow morning,” Bon said.

- For any country to join the European Union, it is necessary that all EU countries agree, including France.

And in France it happens through a vote in parliament or through a referendum.”

• EU summit

• Gettyimages.ru

The representative of France recalled that any country joining the EU must comply with "extremely strict requirements" in the fight against corruption, the rule of law, media pluralism, economic level.

“Because the European Union has a common market, this competition can be difficult,” Bon said.

As he explained, in order for Ukraine to officially join the European Union, it is necessary that hostilities be ended on its territory.

In addition, according to him, Kyiv will need to "restore the country, achieve the required level of democracy and economy."

“It takes time, but we are signaling that we are open,” Bon concluded.

"No preference"

From the point of view of the deputy director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, a member of the Civic Chamber of Russia Nikita Danyuk, the statements of Borrell, Michel and Metsola indicate that the decision to grant Ukraine the status of an EU candidate has in fact already been made.

“Now, when the decision is still unknown to the general public, the information pumping of the European society by these European officials is taking place so that it gets used to the fact that Ukraine will receive the status of a candidate for EU membership,” the expert said in a comment to RT.

However, the assignment of candidate status to this country is nothing more than a "bureaucratic gesture" that says nothing, Danyuk believes.

“This status does not provide any preferences to Ukraine and does not increase the prospects for EU membership in any way.

Recall, for example, the example of Turkey, which received such a status more than 20 years ago, but has not yet been accepted into the association.

Therefore, this is really a "fake" approach to the European Union.

In fact, it does not carry anything, ”said the analyst.

According to Danyuk, the decision to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate is only "image character".

“It has no real benefit.

Brussels in this way only wants to demonstrate that it supports Ukraine in the face of confrontation with Russia.

Under the current conditions, Ukraine is by no means suitable for the role of a country - a member of the European Union, but the European bureaucrats pretend that they are not interested in this, ”the expert said.

In turn, Vladimir Olenchenko, senior researcher at the Center for European Studies at IMEMO RAS, expressed the opinion that, despite Ukraine’s inconsistency with the requirements for candidates for EU membership, European bureaucrats indirectly promise this country such a status, since they are under pressure from sides of Washington.

“The European Commission and Brussels officials, instead of accumulating the opinions of all EU countries, impose on them the position dictated by the United States, replicate their point of view.

Leading EU countries, such as France, are not fanatical about the idea of ​​Ukraine joining the European Union, since they finance its activities.

But the same Borrell, Michel and Metsola express an opinion about the need to take Ukraine into the European Union, which is not so popular in the leading EU countries, ”the analyst noted.

Olenchenko also explained why Washington wants Ukraine to become part of the European Union.

Recall that the other day, US President Joe Biden called Kyiv's accession to the EU very likely.

• European Commission building

• Legion Media

“The foreign policy of Kyiv is in the wake of the American.

And it would be very convenient for the United States if Ukraine, loyal to Washington, would be financed by Brussels as an EU country.

Here one can only admire the ingenuity of American strategists who have already done a similar trick with the Baltic countries.

The Baltic states actually implement the American foreign policy, and the European Union supports them, ”the expert said.

However, according to Danyuk, Ukraine has no chance of becoming a full member of the EU, even despite the "availability of such a protector," since Brussels does not want to take on "such a colossal burden."

“The Europeans themselves will be against the entry of this country, since the Ukrainian economy is completely destroyed, the state administration system is extremely inefficient, the state is in energy, food and demographic crises.

Naturally, Brussels does not need such a headache.

There will be no accelerated procedure for the real accession of Ukraine to the EU.

Moreover, I am sure that even the conditions that have now been put forward to Ukraine so that it becomes a candidate for EU membership, Kyiv will not be able to fulfill, ”concluded the analyst.