Burc Eruygur
03 November 2023•Update: 03 November 2023
ISTANBUL
The Russia-Ukraine war has shown that the European Union should become stronger in order to respond effectively to the challenges it is currently facing, Ukraine’s foreign minister said Thursday.
A statement from the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry quoted Dmytro Kuleba as saying ahead of a ministerial conference in Berlin that the strengthening of cooperation between Kyiv and Brussels in the field of defense industries will become a cornerstone of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.
“We need a strong and proactive European Union capable of solving and preventing conflicts. And this is the contribution that Ukraine can make,” Kuleba said.
Kuleba said that Ukraine is actively implementing the reforms necessary to start talks on its accession to the EU, adding the EU’s expansion and the acceptance of new member states “should not become a hostage to the process of reforming the EU.”
During his speech at the conference, Kuleba was also quoted as saying that Ukraine's accession will bring advantages to the EU and not become a burden for it, adding enlargement is the only way for the EU to become stronger.
"Russia's aggression against Ukraine showed that the EU can be strong and act decisively, but reforming the EU should not demotivate new member states or delay their accession," he added.
The ministerial conference, titled “A larger, stronger union,” was hosted by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and brought together ministers from EU member states and candidate countries and potential members.
On the sidelines of the conference, Kuleba also held bilateral talks with his Turkish, German and Montenegrin counterparts.
Kyiv officially applied for EU membership on Feb. 28, 2022, four days after the start of the war with Russia, which Moscow calls a "special military operation."
The European Commission issued its opinion on the application of Ukraine's EU membership on June 17 last year, after which the European Council granted Kyiv candidate status.
Last December, Ukraine's parliament adopted several bills recommended by the European Commission to further the country's EU accession process.
