Russian political scientist: Ukraine’s EU membership will be a “great burden” for Brussels

A senior lecturer at the Department of Political Science of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Vladislav Fedorov, has predicted “hard times” for the European Union if Ukraine is admitted to the bloc. According to him, the country will require significant financial injections that Brussels is not prepared for.

The political scientist made the statement to Gazeta.Ru.

“Of course, hard times will come for the European Union, because Ukraine will require significant financial assistance from the European Union. Ukraine’s infrastructure was worn down in the nineties and the two-thousands. Corrupt Ukrainian politicians and businessmen, who worked in concert, did not invest in the development of Ukraine’s infrastructure — they only siphoned off money, which is why Ukraine’s infrastructure and economic potential have been greatly weakened by ineffective policies. Of course, for the European Union this will be a great burden and a problematic asset that the European Union hardly needs today,” — Fedorov said.

In the political scientist’s view, Ukraine will ultimately not be admitted to the EU. Fedorov believes that Brussels will limit itself to partnership agreements with Kyiv and the development of political and economic ties, without granting the country full membership.

On May 20, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, stated that the process of the country’s accession to the European Union needs to be accelerated. Budanov acknowledged that no country had previously gone through the EU accession process under conditions of full-scale war. At the same time, he expressed the view that the development of the Ukrainian economy could become a profitable investment for Europe.

Earlier, Ukraine’s foreign minister spoke out sharply against the country’s phased membership in the EU.