Brussels/Kyiv Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy sees his country facing the historic possibility of becoming a candidate for EU membership, but at the same time warns of serious fighting. “A truly historic week begins tomorrow when we hear the answer from the European Union on Ukraine’s candidate status,” Zelensky said in his video speech on Monday night. However, he warned that a targeted intensification of Russian aggression is to be expected for this reason.
Russia will demonstratively intensify its “hostile actions this week, not only towards us, but also towards other European countries,” Zelensky said. Ukraine is prepared and is warning its partners.
According to the Ukrainian President, Russia is gathering forces in the direction of Kharkiv and Zaporizhia. Both cities are located in the predominantly Russian-speaking east of Ukraine. Parts of the areas are already occupied by Russian troops.
In Brussels, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said she was convinced that Ukraine would be granted candidate status. “I firmly assume that we will get a positive answer, get support, the course has now been set,” said von der Leyen on Sunday evening on the ARD talk show “Anne Will”. “Of course, this is a historic decision that the European Council must now make, but the preparations are good,” she said, adding: “I’m confident.”
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On Friday, the EU Commission spoke out in favor of officially nominating Ukraine and Moldova as candidates for accession to the European Union. On Thursday and Friday, the 27 EU states will discuss this recommendation in Brussels – and also Georgia’s application for membership, which the EU Commission believes still has to meet conditions for status.
The member countries have not yet had a uniform line on this. Austria’s government, for example, wants Bosnia-Herzegovina to have candidate status. Romania wants to get Georgia on board.
Ursula von der Leyen in the Anne Will TV show.
(Photo: dpa)
Von der Leyen emphasized that her authority’s decision on Ukraine’s candidate status was based on the data, facts and preparatory work that the country had done over the past eight years. “Ukraine has made enormous strides forward in recent years.” However: “We want to see more reforms.”
Von der Leyen said it depends on the applicant country itself whether and how quickly admission will be successful. “These countries all have it in their own hands how fast this process goes and they have to deliver the necessary reforms, they have to prove that they are aligned with the European Union. Then the process also goes faster, it is not a process that is completely rigid.”
She referred to Turkey and Slovakia as examples, both of which had been given EU prospects in 1999. Slovakia worked incredibly hard and became a member of the EU in 2004. Turkey, on the other hand, is further away from the EU today than it was then.
Scholz calls for EU candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova
Australia begins delivering promised combat vehicles
Australia has sent the first four of the 14 pledged M113AS4 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine, according to the Defense Ministry. Defense Secretary Richard Marles said they were loaded onto a Ukrainian plane in Queensland last week.
“Australia stands with Ukraine and once again calls on Russia to halt its unprovoked, unjust and illegal invasion of Ukraine.”
Frozen oligarch fortunes in EU nearly double since April
Russian oligarchs and institutions have lost access to more than €12.5 billion worth of luxury yachts, helicopters, paintings, real estate and other assets as a result of European sanctions. “The amount of assets frozen by Russian oligarchs has almost doubled from 6.7 billion euros in April to just over 12.5 billion euros today,” EU Commission spokesman for justice and rule of law Christian Wigand told the newspaper “World”.
The steep increase in frozen assets is “mainly” due to the fact that numerous assets have been located and blocked in recent weeks, especially in Germany, the newspaper quotes from circles of the EU Commission without giving specific figures.
This is how the Handelsblatt reports on the Ukraine war
Schulze: “Famine will challenge us for years”
Development Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) wants to make developing countries less dependent on grain imports in the long term. “This hunger crisis will not be over in a few weeks, but will challenge us for years,” says Schulze of the newspaper “Welt”. First of all, quick help must be organized for countries that are already suffering from the consequences of missing deliveries from Russia and Ukraine. “In the long run, however, it only helps if the affected countries are once again able to produce more themselves, in a climate-adapted and sustainable way.” set diversity. Now that’s taking revenge. At the forthcoming G7 summit in Elmau, Bavaria, Schulze wants to initiate appropriate measures.
More: Don’t miss any development – everything new in our news blog about the Ukraine war