Vsevolod Chentsov, head of Ukraine’s mission to the EU, said the Russian war had united Kyiv with the bloc and ended what he called a “mistake” about whether his country could belong to the union. Speaking to the Guardian ahead of a historically charged EU summit on Thursday, he said for many years Ukraine was considered a bridge or a neutral state rather than a potential member. A decision on the status of the candidate will “finally kill, this ambiguity, what Ukraine is for the EU: whether we build a common house or not; I think now there is finally clarity.” Subscribe to the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7 p.m. BST EU leaders will decide on Thursday whether to grant Ukraine candidate status, following a positive recommendation from the European Commission last Friday. Expectations for a yes have risen since four EU leaders, including France and Germany, who were considered lukewarm, visited Kyiv last week in support. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has applied for EU membership five days after Russia launched the offensive. On the day of the blasts in Kyiv, Zelensky called for “immediate access with a new special procedure.” While the initial response from some 10 EU countries has been deeply skeptical, opposition has waned, although questions remain about the long road ahead. Ukraine has been seeking EU membership since the 2004 “orange revolution” and more persistently than the Maidan protests in 2013-14, when pro-Kremlin President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted after refusing to sign an association agreement with the bloc. The decision to apply for EU membership on February 29, 2022 had the same logic as the demonstrations in Maidan, Chechnov said: “Ukraine is fighting for independence and a European future. And at the end of February, it had just reached its peak with the full and open Russian invasion of Ukraine. “We need that clarity [on EU membership] to support the Ukrainian army, the Ukrainian society, morally, psychologically and to gain a clear sense and understanding of the direction of the movement for Ukraine “. Prior to the war, EU membership was not an option for the country of 41 million people ravaged by corruption. The EU association agreement with Kyiv describes Ukraine as “a European country [that] shares a common history and common values ”, but avoided mentioning himself as a member. Russia’s war had changed perceptions of Ukraine for EU governments and their constituents, the ambassador suggested. “This war has basically united us with the EU at all possible levels: government to government, but mainly from people to peoples.” He said that “the fact that Europeans, EU citizens, accept Ukrainians like their brothers, live under one roof” was very important for changing perceptions about whether Ukraine could be a member of the EU. is a strange country, we are not strange people. We are the same, we share the same understanding of this world “. A poll published this week by the European Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank, found that 57% of Europeans supported Ukraine’s bid. Poland was more supportive with 70% in favor. In Germany, France and Italy, however, support was below 50% – at 48%, 47% and 46% respectively – although it still outperforms the opposition. Zelensky had warned the EU to expect an increase in hostilities from Russia during the week of talks on Ukraine’s candidacy status. The ambassador told him that the bloc should not make its decisions based on trying to anticipate the Kremlin’s thinking. The unnamed EU capitals had made a “big mistake” in the past, he argued, always “looking”[ing] in what Russia thinks and what Russia will do “. Some were still facing a “psychological blockade,” he said, of sending weapons to Ukraine. “The psychological blockade is to face the reality that they really need to support Ukraine in order to fight Russia effectively. “Many countries could not have imagined that they could provide weapons to fight Russia, and now they are getting there.” If Ukraine becomes a candidate country, it will take years for it to join the EU. security, energy and opportunities for young people. The French proposals were “a useful initiative. To avoid the gap, the gap between the current regime and the future membership,” the ambassador said, declining to say how long the accession talks could last. “It will certainly take some time,” Chechnov said, stressing his country’s role in the need for far-reaching political and economic reforms. “We understand that we must implement these reforms first and foremost, for Ukraine, not for the EU.” If EU leaders approve Ukraine’s request, it will be the first time the bloc has granted candidacy status to a country at war. As Ukraine’s defenders face increasing Russian attacks in eastern Donbass, the ambassador urged Kiev’s allies to provide heavy weapons and financial aid. “I think so [the war] will last until [Vladimir] Putin understands that he must stop it. I mean, Ukraine needs a lot of support both with heavy weapons, but also financial and economic support. “Yes, our people are brave and the army is perhaps one of the strongest now… But we must support our people, [with] “Both the weapons and the political support for Russia’s political isolation, therefore, prefer not a military, but a negotiated outcome of the situation.”
