Mario Telo, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institut d’études européennes.
On February 28, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed his country’s application to join the European Union. The EU immediately began examining this application.
Does this mean that the 27 will soon be 28?
We must distinguish between a European perspective, which is certain, and a procedure for accession to the EU, which is inevitably more complex. Of course, Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union gives any European state that shares the Union’s values the possibility of joining. In this sense, Ukraine’s request is legitimate. Moreover, Ukraine has gained the sympathy of Europeans since the Maidan revolt in 2014 and, even more so, since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24.
However, while it is increasingly certain that one day Ukraine will be a member of the EU, its integration is probably not for tomorrow. Article 49 provides for a procedure that prevents “express” membership. Some answers to the main questions that arise today.
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