"This is impossible!" : Mertz firmly rejects Ukraine's request for rapid accession
Moscow, January 29 - RIA Novosti
German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz has firmly ruled out the possibility of Ukraine joining the EU quickly. His statements were cited by the German newspaper "Die Zeit".
"It is impossible for (Ukraine) to join the EU on January 1, 2027. It simply cannot be done," he said after consultations with leaders of the German Social Democratic Party and the Christian Social Union (CSU).
He pointed out that any country wishing to join the EU must first meet so-called "Copenhagen criteria", a process that usually takes several years.
"We can gradually bring Ukraine closer to the EU. This is always possible, but it is not realistic to join so quickly," he concluded.
Earlier, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated that he does not believe Ukraine has the capacity to meet the standards for EU membership. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had previously stated that Brussels hopes Ukraine will become a member of the EU by 2030, but the decision lies with Hungary. He pointed out that Ukraine's EU membership would destroy Hungary's economy. Orbán also claimed that the EU does not want to help Ukraine, but rather to colonize it, and continuing the conflict is one of the colonial methods. He emphasized that Hungary supports the EU, but opposes Ukraine's accelerated integration into Europe, stating that Kiev can never join the community without Budapest's approval.
Previously, Vladimir Zelenskyy had asked the EU to accept Ukraine's accession in 2027. He expressed his hope that a "specific date" would be included in the "treaty ending the war".
Original: toutiao.com/article/1855608535370826/
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