EUR WELCOME
Taoiseach hails breakthrough of Ukraine’s acceptance to EU
Ireland knows what being in the EU means
TAOISEACH YESTERDAY ON UKRAINE DECISION
TAOISEACH Micheal Martin has hailed as “historic” the decision by EU chiefs to accept Ukraine’s application to join the union.
Mr Martin joined the other 26 EU heads of state at the European Council Summit meeting last night where the formal decision to start Ukraine’s journey to membership was made.
He said: “The European Union is sending a message of solidarity to the Ukrainian people that you belong to the European family.”
One source close to the meeting told the Mirror that support was “practically unanimous” among the leaders during discussions.
This is a change from just a few weeks ago when many of the more eastern members of the EU were expressing reservations.
Ukraine – headed by President Volodymyr Zelensky – now has what is called “candidate status” and the same status was also given to Moldova at the meeting. The process itself takes a number of years, with estimates in Brussels last night that Ukraine’s application will take four to six years, but possibly as many as 10.
Speaking to reporters from the Europa building on the way into the Brussels Summit, Mr Martin said: “This is a very significant European Council meeting.
“It’s historic in the sense of the enlargement of the European Union and I’m particularly pleased as a longstanding advocate for Ukraine’s application to candidate status to become a member of the European Union.
“It’s very significant for Ukraine, it’s very significant for Moldova and indeed Georgia [another EU applicant] in terms of the European perspective. We in Ireland know what the European Union means, being a member of the European Union.
“It’s the 50th anniversary of Ireland’s decision to join the European Union, probably the single most transformative decision and event that happened in modern Irish history.
“So I can’t comprehend how we could refuse accession to other member states because we know that membership itself can be transformative and can
spur on reforms, can spur on economic developments.
“And notwithstanding that Ukraine is going through a terrible, terrible inhumane
war, their cities and towns are being levelled, their people are being terrorised…the greatest humanitarian crisis since World War II.
“And I think today the European Union is sending a message of solidarity to the Ukrainian people that you belong to the European family, you belong to the European Union and a decision will be taken today to facilitate their application.”
The Taoiseach also said that he regretted there was not more progress in bringing the six countries of the Western Balkans – Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, into the European family.
The six have been waiting up to 10 years in some cases for their membership to progress past candidate status.
Mr Martin added that he “dearly hopes” that progress can be made.