Ukraine's entry into the European Union (EU) will not happen "in the next 5 to 10 years" - RT quoted Austrian Minister for European Affairs, Ms. Karoline Edtstadler as predicting.
Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg also expressed the same view, despite the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasizing that Ukraine will soon join the bloc.
There is no such thing as Ukraine being admitted to the EU soon. EU entry for Ukraine will be a long way to go for adjustment, which is certainly not possible in the next 5 to 10 years, Edtstadler told Austrias APA news agency. Minister Edtstadler added that because some ASEAN countries have waited for "decades" to join the alliance, there is no quick path for Ukraine.
Before Edtstadler made the above comment, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg had angered Kiev when he suggested that Ukraine pursue an association agreement with the EU or integrate into the European Economic Zone, instead of joining the EU. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko called the advice strategically approachable and not in the interests of a unified Europe.
Minister Edtstadler told the APA: What Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg wants to mention here is the ability to be creative in introducing Ukraine to Western values. But what Ukraine clearly hears is a lack of EU membership. That is not what we want to say, and not Austrias point of view.
Austria is not the only EU member calling for caution in quickly admitting Ukraine to the European Union. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned in March that EU entry is not something that can be done in a few months, while Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that pushing for Ukraines entry could be seen as unfair to long-time candidates such as Turkey and Montenegro.
When considering admitting a country as a member, the European Commission will assess everything from economic activities to the country's legal system, along with environmental regulations and agricultural practices. This process could take decades, for example, Turkey has been a candidate country since 1999.
However, Ukraine has completed the first part of the questioning for future members, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last month that it would not take years to join, Ukraine could become an EU member in a matter of a few weeks.
EU sources told Bloomberg last month that a preliminary decision on Ukraine's nomination could be made as early as June. However, full membership still depends on the European Commission's investigation and the unanimous consent of all EU member states.
