Ukraine proved that even during the brutal war, it can focus on reforms for EU integration

“ Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Chair of the Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU, emphasised this in her speech at the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum 2023.

She noted that the current integration processes in the European Union are not a shift to the East, as many believe, but rather a shift towards values. “The way the EU policy towards Ukraine has changed over the past two years is evidence that the EU is trying to become a really strong, influential, powerful geopolitical player,” said the Chair of the Committee. She is convinced that the European Union can establish itself in this role by adopting decisions on the accession of new members, including Ukraine, in December.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze thanked for the historic decision to grant candidate status to Ukraine. She noted that Ukraine has proven that even during the brutal war, it can focus on reforms for integration into the EU and fulfil the necessary requirements. Ukraine also reopened the way for the countries that aspired to join the EU for a long period but stuck on this path, such as the Western Balkan states. At the same time, the process of integrating new members into the EU should not depend on internal reforms in the European Union. “These countries should not stand at the door again and wait for the discussion on reforms to end,” the Chair of the Committee emphasised. She also expressed hope that the EU will support Ukraine in strengthening its institutional capacity, in particular required for the implementation of EU law into national legislation. In this area, Ukraine also counts on the support of European partners, on their experience and expertise.

Regarding the steps and stages of European integration, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze noted that Ukraine is interested in fulfilling all the requirements as soon as possible. “However, it is clear that our main priority is to win the war. Without this, we can’t fully focus on reforms, reconstruction, and the return of our citizens. We want to make sure that we are unanimous with the EU and that the EU is ready to stand with us in this battle against Russia. There should be no disagreements about how this war must end. Only in this way we can build a European democratic community based on values together.”