The Chair of the Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, took part in the Warsaw Security Forum. She joined the discussion “New Reality, Same Old Tale? EU Enlargement in the Context of the New European Commission”. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze noted that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine triggered a tectonic shift in the policy of the European Union. The opening of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, granting candidate status to Georgia, and unblocking the integration of the Western Balkan states gave a unique impetus to the development of the candidate countries and the European Union itself. “I truly believe that the European Union, together with the states that are currently on the path of integration, will become the world’s strongest economy. It will be much stronger geopolitically and in terms of security. This will bring benefits to all current EU member states,” said Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.

She noted that no country moving towards EU membership should be held hostage to internal EU reforms. The EU should define internal priorities and ensure that this work does not hinder the enlargement process. Reforms are vital not only for candidate countries but also for the European Union itself and will make it more effective. It is also important to maintain support for European integration in candidate countries and prevent Russia from using any delays to undermine the value of the European Union and the values on which it is built. “We must acknowledge that some countries are compromising their values for short-term interests. And the EU has not yet found an effective mechanism to counter this trend. If you sacrifice values for prosperity and security, you risk losing everything — values, security and prosperity,” emphasised the Committee Chair.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze also called on the EU to make every effort to ensure victory over Russia on the territory of Ukraine and prevent the war from spreading across the continent. She noted that this demands leadership and commitment. It also requires consistent communication with European societies about the importance of supporting Ukraine. ”This requires courage, will and strategy. And I hope that we will no longer be trapped by old fairy tales, as suggested in the title of the discussion,” remarked the Committee Chair. She expressed scepticism about security guarantees for Ukraine other than NATO membership. ”Moreover, there are no guarantees for stable and lasting peace in Europe other than Ukraine’s membership in NATO. With all due respect to the memorandums and agreements signed with over thirty countries, they do not provide real security guarantees but only a promise of support in the event of an attack. We have already experienced this with the Budapest Memorandum. And we have learned this painful lesson,” said Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze. She also warned to be careful with assumptions that Ukraine may not win the war. "It is not Ukraine, but the West may not win. It is the EU and NATO that may fail to help a country that has chosen to fight for the opportunity to determine its path to democracy, prosperity and development. And if we lose together, I am afraid, there will be a real, not a hybrid war on the territory of European countries,” the Chair of the Committee concluded.