Ahead of the European Union (EU) leaders' summit, European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen said on November 28 that Ukraine has met "almost" all the requirements set by the EU to start accession negotiations.
“For me, it was very impressive to see the deep and structural reforms that Ukraine implemented while in a fight for survival,” Von der Leyen told Politico.
“They have met all the necessary requirements in most of the seven steps that we asked them to take… when they became a candidate country,” the head of the EU executive added.
During the European leaders' summit in Brussels in mid-December, the EU is expected to announce the opening of accession talks with Ukraine, which was granted candidate status last June, if it does not face objections from any of the 27 current member states.
Earlier this month, Ms Von der Leyen said Ukraine had fulfilled “more than 90%” of the preconditions set by the EU, so the EC recommended opening accession talks with both Ukraine and Moldova.
King Charles III receives European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen during an audience at Windsor Castle, UK, February 2023. Photo: The Telegraph
In an interview with Politico published on November 28, Ms. Von der Leyen also mentioned a former EU member – the United Kingdom. The “Foggy Country” left the bloc after the Brexit referendum in 2016. Brexit shook the foundations of the bloc.
Asked whether she thought the UK could rejoin the EU, Ms Von der Leyen said reversing Brexit was a problem for the next generation.
“I always tell my children: You have to fix it. We did something wrong, you have to fix it,” the EC chief said.
In addition, in the interview, the first female President of the EC also reiterated the need for the EU to reduce its dependence on China, especially regarding critical minerals – an area where Beijing has asserted its dominance.
“Over the past 20 years, China has bought mine after mine around the world, taken the raw materials, processed them in China and monopolized some important raw materials, such as lithium for clean technology,” said Ms. Von der Leyen.
“This is why I say we have to de-risk, not decouple from China… because that would not be in our interest and I think it is not feasible.”
As she nears the end of her first term as EC president as Europe prepares for EU elections next June, Ms Von der Leyen – who has yet to announce whether she will run for a second term – remains cautious.
“Normally, I say go for it when faced with this question,” she said. “Unfortunately, I have to leave you with that big question mark.”
European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen during a meeting with US President Joe Biden in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington DC, October 20, 2023. Photo: Straits Times
Nearly four years into Von der Leyen's presidency, the EU faces a turning point in the wake of the pandemic and amid a war between Russia and Ukraine right in the heart of Europe.
The range of challenges and opportunities facing the EU means that the bloc is at a crossroads between the past and a new, hopefully brighter dawn in the second half of the 2020s.
The 65-year-old German politician could hope to spearhead that future by serving a second term from late 2024, but that will depend on political negotiations that take place following the results of next June's European Parliament elections.
Even if she does not take the EC presidency, she is likely to land another important post, with US President Joe Biden reportedly backing her to be the next NATO Secretary General.
With her strong and unequivocal support for Ukraine, as well as her continued leadership in leading Europe through the coronavirus pandemic, Ms. Von der Leyen has topped the Forbes 2022 list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women .
Minh Duc (According to Politico EU, Arab News, Forbes)
Source
Comment (0)