Ukraine says wants spot ‘reserved’ in EU

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Thursday in Berlin that Ukraine wants a reserved seat in the European Union, even if full membership may take time.

“It is not about the fastest possible membership for Ukraine in the EU. But what is very important for us is for this spot to be reserved for Ukraine,” he told German broadcaster ARD.

“We hear often that Ukraine belongs in Europe, belongs in the European family, and now it’s about reserving this place,” he added.

Early this week, French President Emmanuel Macron cautioned that a nation like Ukraine would take “decades” to join the EU.

Instead, Macron urged that a bigger European political community be formed, with states such as Ukraine and post-Brexit Britain included.

Kuleba said he didn’t have enough information to evaluate Macron’s proposal for a larger European club.

“As far as we understand,” he continued, “the French proposal does not conflict with awarding Ukraine EU candidacy status.”

He warned that doing so would contradict public remarks by EU leaders about Ukraine’s integration into the European family.

“I can tell you right away that no alternative to the European integration of Ukraine will be acceptable,” Kuleba added, speaking to journalists after he met leaders of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats.

Kuleba, who is in Berlin to meet with political leaders from Europe’s largest economy before traveling to Weissenhaus to meet with counterparts from the G7’s most industrialized nations, went out of his way to ease any leftover tensions with German leaders.

He stated that Germany was now intensifying its response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“We can see that Germany has gained the lead right now,” he remarked.

Kuleba stated that he will discuss more penalties against Russia as a result of their invasion of Ukraine.

Another important problem, according to the minister, is the fight against worldwide food shortages caused by the war.