MEPs urge Ukraine to prioritise EU reforms
The European Parliament has encouraged the Ukrainian government to keep up the pace on implementing EU-related reforms, and reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to a just and lasting peace.
The report by the Foreign Affairs Committee, which reviews Ukraine’s EU accession preparations against the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing war of aggression, was adopted on 9 September by 418 votes in favour, 135 against, and with 41 abstentions.
MEPs confirmed their unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and stressed that any peaceful solution must respect the will of the Ukrainian people and not be imposed by any other international actor.
Commending Ukraine on its extraordinary efforts in strengthening its democratic institutions, MEPs encouraged Kyiv to maintain this reform momentum. They highlighted the importance of transparent and merit-based selection processes for judicial and anti-corruption bodies and called on Ukraine to intensify its rule-of-law and public administration reforms as well as anti-corruption measures, “as progress in these areas is critical not only for EU membership but also for successful reconstruction and economic trust”.
Parliament urged the European Commission to open negotiation clusters to advance Ukraine’s EU membership bid at the fastest pace possible, subject to its continued implementation of the EU’s rulebook and completion of reforms already launched.
The report also expressed deep concern over the shift in the United States’ stance on Russia’s war of aggression under President Donald Trump. In light of these developments, MEPs stressed that the EU and its member states must remain Ukraine’s strategic allies and should reinforce their leadership role in supporting Ukraine’s struggle for sovereignty, peace and justice.
In addition, MEPs reaffirmed their steadfast commitment to ensuring security guarantees for Ukraine and stated that all necessary steps must be taken to strengthen Ukraine’s armed forces and defence industry.
This report is the first enlargement report on Ukraine since Russia began its full-scale invasion, Ukraine was granted EU candidate status, and accession negotiations started. Enlargement reports are Parliament’s response to the Commission’s annual reports on the candidate and potential candidate countries in the EU accession process.
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