Current:Home > reviewsEU summit to look at changes the bloc needs to make to welcome Ukraine, others as new members -GrowthProspect
EU summit to look at changes the bloc needs to make to welcome Ukraine, others as new members
View
Date:2025-04-13 22:57:43
GRANADA, Spain (AP) — A day after pledging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy their unwavering support, European Union leaders on Friday will face one of their worst political headaches on a key commitment — how and when to welcome debt-laden and battered Ukraine into the bloc.
The 27-nation EU has said since the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022 that at the end of the war it would work steadfastly on “lasting unity” that would eventually translate into Ukraine’s membership in the wealthy bloc.
For a nation fighting for its very survival, that moment cannot come quickly enough. For the bloc itself, that remains to be seen.
On Friday, the leaders will assess “enlargement” as they call it at their informal summit in southern Spain’s Granada. Beyond Ukraine, several western Balkan nations and Moldova are also knocking with increasing impatience at the door.
In his summit invitation letter, EU Council President Charles Michel asked the leaders “critical questions, such as: What do we do together? How do we decide? How do we match our means with our ambitions?”
That has already proven difficult enough for the current members, especially with decades-old rules still on the books that were thought out for a dozen closely knit nations. At the time, deciding by unanimity and veto rights were still considered workable procedures, and money was still relatively easy to come by.
The thought of adding a half dozen nations much poorer than almost all current members has several already grabbing for the hand brake.
Michel believes that new member countries should be welcomed in by 2030. Last month, the presidents of Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Albania also said that enlargement should happen “not later than 2030.”
But EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has insisted that “accession is merit-based.” She says the progress these countries make in aligning their laws with EU rules and standards should dictate the pace of membership, rather than some arbitrary deadline. The bureaucratic pace of aligning with thousands of EU rules can sometimes take well over a half dozen years.
Ukraine and Moldova were officially granted EU candidate status earlier this year — an unusually rapid decision for the EU and its go-slow approach to expansion, prompted by the war in Ukraine.
At the same time, the EU’s leaders also agreed to recognize a “European perspective” for another former Soviet republic, Georgia.
Serbia and Montenegro were the first western Balkan countries to launch membership negotiations, followed by Albania and Macedonia last year. Bosnia and Kosovo have only begun the first step of the integration process.
EU officials fear Russia could try to destabilize the Balkans, which went through a bloody war in the 1990s, and thus shift world attention from its aggression in Ukraine. Russia’s Balkan ally Serbia has refused to join EU sanctions against Moscow, although Belgrade says it respects Ukrainian territorial integrity.
One key date is already set for Ukraine: In December, the EU nations will decide whether to open full-on accession talks.
___
Casert reported from Brussels.
veryGood! (8583)
Related
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Man acquitted in 2015 slaying of officer convicted of assaulting deputy sheriff during 2021 arrest
- Ex-soldier indicted for trying to pass U.S. defense info to China
- Animal lovers rush to the rescue after dozens of cats are left to die in Abu Dhabi desert
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar on the Supreme Court and being Miss Idaho
- Witnesses to FBI hunt for Civil War gold describe heavily loaded armored truck, signs of a night dig
- A Ugandan business turns banana fiber into sustainable handicrafts
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- A deaf football team will debut a 5G-connected augmented reality helmet to call plays
Ranking
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- Russian woman found living with needle in her brain after parents likely tried to kill her after birth during WWII, officials say
- Oregon man convicted of murder in shooting of sheriff’s deputy in Washington sentenced to life
- Simone Biles' 'emotional' sixth world title shows just how strong she is – on and off the floor
- California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- How kids are making sense of climate change and extreme weather
- Chrissy Metz and Bradley Collins Break Up After 3 Years
- A Baltic Sea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia is shut down over a suspected leak
Recommendation
Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
U.S. lawmakers led by Senate Majority Leader Schumer arrive in China on first such visit since 2019
Man acquitted in 2015 slaying of officer convicted of assaulting deputy sheriff during 2021 arrest
2023 UAW strike update: GM agrees to place electric vehicle battery plants under national contract
Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
Wanted: Social workers
How to Get Kim Kardashian's Glowing Skin at Home, According to Her Facialist Toska Husted
3 indicted in overdose death of 1-year-old at 'fentanyl mill' Bronx day care