Following the new government in Budapest’s decision to end Hungary’s long-standing blockade, the path is clear for EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova to begin. Negotiations with the Western Balkan countries may also gain momentum in line with the demands of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron at a summit in Montenegro. Europe’s press anticipates a long and laborious process.
Key partner for defence
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Ukraine is an asset to the EU, columnist Bill Emmott stresses in La Stampa (Italy):
“When viewed through the lens of defence and security, nothing is more obvious than the fact that Europe needs Ukraine just as much as Ukraine needs Europe. Countries who want to learn how to defend themselves against drones or missiles from Russia, against terrorist groups or some other random foe, know they must turn to Kyiv. Countries who are wondering how to rapidly expand their arms production and modernise it for the era of low-cost drones and artificial intelligence know that whether as a supplier, a partner or an adviser, Ukraine has plenty of answers at the ready.”
Long-term stress test
The path to EU membership will not be easy, writes diplomat and international law expert Lana Serkal in a Facebook post picked up by NV (Ukraine):
“Accession negotiations take years. During this time, candidate countries hold elections and political parties change, but despite all these internal processes they must regularly demonstrate to the European Union that they remain committed to the fundamental values driving their bid for EU membership, regardless of any domestic political preferences. They must show that their institutions remain stable and insulated from political mood swings (or that they are at least consistently striving to make them so) and that they continue to respect Europe’s rules.”
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