French minister for European affairs to visit Kyiv with Ukraine’s EU membership on line
Ukraine’s European integration (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
French Minister Delegate for European Affairs, Benjamin Addad, will visit Ukraine in September to discuss its European integration prospects. Paris emphasizes its support for Kyiv but calls for a realistic and step-by-step approach, reports La Tribune Dimanche.
According to Addad, his visit will be part of a broader dialogue between Kyiv and European capitals ahead of key EU decisions on further enlargement.
“I will be in Ukraine in September to continue our talks: the goal is to quickly start the first phase of negotiations,” Addad said.
The minister emphasized that Paris fully supports Ukraine’s aspiration to join the European community.
“Russia has no veto over Ukraine’s political future. Ukraine has the sovereign right to choose its alliances and political direction,” the official stated.
Addad also noted that in a recent conversation with Taras Kachka, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, they discussed that EU accession is a demanding and lengthy process, requiring far-reaching reforms to ensure the rule of law, combat corruption, uphold judicial independence, and protect minorities, among other measures.
EU accession talks
On May 21, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the country is ready to begin negotiations for EU membership. However, the only obstacle to starting this process remains Hungary’s veto.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has repeatedly claimed that Ukraine’s accession to the EU would allegedly destroy Hungary and drag the bloc into a war with Russia.
As a result, Moldova may advance of Ukraine on the path to EU membership.
