EU-Ukraine accession talks in jeopardy - Reuters
The EU promised to support Ukraine "as long as it takes," but according to the official, not everyone agrees with this now
The European Union's decision to start membership talks with Ukraine next month is in jeopardy, and the bloc is not on board with providing Kyiv with an additional €50 billion in aid.
Source. Reuters writes about this with reference to a senior European official.
These depressing comments come amid growing war fatigue in Ukraine, which has been trying to resist a Russian invasion since February 2022, and an increasingly gloomy mood among Kyiv's Western supporters as the war drags on.
The source recalled the EU's promises to support Ukraine "as long as it takes," but, according to him, not everyone agrees with this now.
"Leaders have realized that it is quite expensive. How are we going to pay for it?" said the EU official, who is participating in the preparations for the December 14-15 summit of the 27 EU member states in Brussels.
The European Commission's proposal to revise the bloc's long-term budget to allocate another 50 billion euros to Ukraine by 2027 has been criticized from various sides, he said.
"We cannot allow Ukraine to go bankrupt, it is not an option for us. But it is not easy," the EU representative said.
He also doubted that formal EU negotiations with Ukraine on membership in the bloc would begin soon. According to him, the decision to hold them next month is "under threat."
One of the reasons for this is Hungary's resistance, which will not allow the decision to be made unanimously.
The official added that some EU leaders have proposed to return to the discussion in March 2024, after the European Commission assesses Ukraine's fulfillment of the remaining conditions.
"Perhaps we had too high expectations. Will we continue to support Ukraine financially and militarily? Do we have the funds to do so? Are we sure that the United States will be with us in the coming years?" the official asks.
"The point is not that people called for peace. Some members have clearly said that at some point we need an end to this. The consensus is to continue to support Ukraine, but there are a number of questions," the EU official said.
Background. Earlier it was reported that the European Union is preparing a backup plan to help Ukraine for 50 billion euros in order not to depend on Hungary's position.
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