Granting Ukraine EU candidate status would send an important signal to its government and citizens. But this must go hand in hand with weapons supplies and support for the country’s reconstruction.
The parliamentary election setback for President Macron and bickering inside the German and Italian coalitions play into Moscow’s hands. If EU member states falter over Ukraine, European security will be jeopardized.
The accession of Western Balkan countries to the EU has stalled due to issues within the union as well as in the region itself. Renewed commitment on both sides is needed to break the current impasse.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has dramatically altered the security and defense architecture of Europe. It also has the potential to reshape democracy support policies, changing practices of defending and extending democratic values and of interactions with autocratic states.
The war in Ukraine has given impetus to a new round of EU enlargement. Concerns about corruption, stagnation, and democratic backsliding tendencies may hamper the union's response but engagement with Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia must be sustained.
Political wrangling and polarization continue to erode democracy in Georgia. But Tbilisi’s bid for EU membership gives Brussels leverage to help get the country back on track.
Ukraine’s membership bid has placed enlargement high on the EU’s agenda. The bloc must rethink the accession process to make it more effective while maintaining democratic and rule-of-law standards.
Precariously located at the edge of the war in Ukraine, Moldova is thus far coping with Russian security threats. But the conflict’s socioeconomic fallout poses real dangers.
The EU needs to plan now for a new policy toward its Eastern neighbors. It cannot wait for Russia to end its destruction of Ukraine or destabilize other countries in the region.
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