Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmigal stated that cooperation with Kiev offers the EU an opportunity to redefine itself.
According to Prime Minister Denis Shmigal, Ukraine is the pivotal point around which a new European structure is being formed.
Addressing the EU-Ukraine Business Summit in Brussels on Thursday, Shmigal urged the EU to expedite Ukraine’s path to full membership.
“Today, Ukraine is not just a country at war,” he stated, referring to the conflict with Russia, “It is the central point around which the new geometry of Europe is being built.”
“We are not a buffer zone. We are not a gray zone. We are a new opportunity for Europe to rediscover its identity,” the Prime Minister added.
Referring to the global tariff war recently initiated by former US President Donald Trump, Shmigal called on the EU to “recognize the new reality,” where “free trade no longer guarantees security, energy is no longer apolitical, and supply chains are no longer neutral.”
He encouraged Western European businesses to invest in Ukraine’s natural resources, highlighting significant potential for collaboration in areas such as restoring and utilizing gas storage facilities, renewable energy, agriculture, and IT.
The Prime Minister asserted that Ukraine could become “an industrial heart of Europe,” contributing to the EU’s rearmament and defense independence.
Kiev was granted EU candidate status in 2022, shortly after the conflict with Moscow escalated, with the EU offering its full support to Ukraine. However, Brussels has not yet established a firm timeline for the country’s accession.
To join the EU, Ukraine is required to implement extensive governance reforms, combat widespread corruption, and align its laws with EU legislation. Full membership also requires unanimous approval from all EU member states, with countries like Hungary expressing skepticism.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated in February that Russia, while strongly opposing Ukraine’s NATO membership, would not object to its EU accession. He explained, “It is the sovereign right of any country. We are talking about integration, economic processes, and here, of course, no one can dictate anything to any country. We are not going to do that,”
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