The Foreign Ministry speaks of the need for greater flexibility in the search for mechanisms for rapprochement between Ukraine and the European Union.
Ukraine should not be offered membership in the European Union, said Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg during his speech at the summit of European media, reports the Chronicle.info with reference to the Correspondent.
He argued this position that the countries of the Western Balkans had a much longer path to EU membership.
The local newspaper Heute also cites Schallenberg's words that Ukraine should not become a member of the EU in principle, even in the future. He spoke in favor of a different path for Ukraine than full membership.
According to the minister, there should also be other models than Ukraine's accession to the EU, joining the EU Single Economic Area, or simply maintaining the current level of the Association Agreement. Schallenberg called for greater flexibility in the search for mechanisms for rapprochement between Ukraine and the EU.
Recall that the Austrian chancellor became the first European leader with whom Putin met after the start of the invasion in Ukraine. His visit was regarded as very controversial.
On April 18, Ukraine submitted the first part of the questionnaire for obtaining the status of a candidate for EU membership. At the moment, the European Commission is waiting for the second part of the document from Kyiv. The EC will rely on two main criteria for Ukraine's accession to the EU: democracy and a market economy.