Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schalenberg believes that Ukraine should not be offered EU membership. Schalenberg commented on this topic in his speech at the 14th European Media Summit in Lech am Arlberg.
The minister believes that Ukraine should not receive candidate status in June, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expects.
Schalenberg argued that there are countries in the Western Balkans that have come a long way.
The Austrian newspaper Heute also quotes Schalenberg as saying that Ukraine, in principle, should not become a member of the EU even in the future. He advocated a different path for Ukraine away from full membership.
According to the minister, in addition to Ukraine’s accession to the EU, there should be other models – joining the Common Economic Space of the EU or simply maintaining the current level of the Association Agreement. Schalenberg called for greater flexibility in finding mechanisms for rapprochement between Ukraine and the EU.
However, he unequivocally supported the further deepening of EU relations with Ukraine.
Earlier, President of the European Council Charles Michel refused to answer the question whether all EU countries agree with the prospect of Ukraine’s membership.