‘There will be no simplified accession of Ukraine to the EU, even in the event of negotiations with Russia’ – European Commissioner Thierry Breton says

The European Union is not prepared to waive any requirements or skip specific stages to expedite Ukraine’s accession process into the union, even if Kyiv agrees to initiate negotiations with Moscow.

Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, made this statement during an interview on Sud Radio.

“The accession process is lengthy, and it’s necessary for the country to, so to speak, change its infrastructure and rules. We will do everything to assist Ukraine in doing this as quickly as possible, but obviously, without skipping any stages,” he stated on Sud Radio.

He was responding to the host’s question about whether Ukraine’s initiation of negotiations to end the conflict with Russia would simplify its entry into the EU.

“To start negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, we must give Ukraine the opportunities to make decisions at the right moment, in line with the balance of power,” Breton explained.

He reminded that EU countries in 2023 agreed to train Ukrainian soldiers and “for the first time open all arms production factories” to ensure the delivery of 1 million munitions to Ukraine in 2024, including missiles.

“We must increase our production of military equipment as well as ammunition,” he said, adding that the EU’s task is to ensure parity in armaments between Russia and Ukraine.

🔴 Le pacte migratoire aboutira avant la fin de l'année, espère @ThierryBreton

🗣️"#GiorgiaMeloni a compris qu’aucun pays ne peut s’en sortir seul. Ce problème nous touche tous en #Europe. J’ai confiance et espoir que le nouveau pacte migratoire aboutisse rapidement" pic.twitter.com/0aQeEHFlzR

— Sud Radio (@SudRadio) September 18, 2023

Previously, Breton stated that Ukraine’s accession to the EU is contingent on Kyiv meeting all necessary requirements. According to Breton, this includes “the rule of law, respect for human rights, and the development of the internal market.” He also emphasized that commencing the EU accession procedure does not automatically guarantee entry into the union.