Baltic states leaders urge EU to start Ukraine's accession negotiations
Category
Politics
Publication date

Baltic states leaders urge EU to start Ukraine's accession negotiations

Office of the President of Estonia
Baltic Presidents

The Presidents of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania Alar Karis, Edgars Rinkevičs and Gitanas Nauseda made a joint statement on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the accession of the Baltic States to the European Union. They called on the bloc to start negotiations on the accession of Ukraine.

Statement of Baltic presidents regarding starting negotiations about Ukraine's accession to the EU

A statement published on the Estonian President's website emphasises the importance of EU membership for the three countries' welfare, security, and economic growth.

They also believe that negotiations on Ukraine and Moldova's accession to the EU should start in June.

In 1990-1991, democratic choice was put to the test in the Baltic States. Currently, Ukrainians, Moldovans and Georgians are fighting for European values and the European family as their final choice. We firmly stand in support of those countries that share European values and the will to be together, the statement reads.

The heads of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania called on the European Union to start negotiations to join the bloc with Ukraine and Moldova.

The Baltic States are a great example of how EU membership stimulates modernisation and economic progress. This is our reality, which we want to share, added the presidents of the three states.

Accession of Ukraine to the EU: what is known

In June 2022, the European Council granted Ukraine the status of a candidate for the EU. For further steps, Ukraine should implement the following reforms:

  • reform of the Constitutional Court;

  • continuation of judicial reform;

  • anti-corruption, appointment of the head of the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office;

  • countering money laundering;

  • implementation of the anti-oligarchic law;

  • harmonisation of audiovisual legislation with European legislation;

  • change in legislation on national minorities.

In November 2023, the European Commission recommended that the Eurocouncil start negotiations on Ukraine and Moldova's accession.

In March 2024, the European Commission prepared a negotiating framework for the membership of Ukraine and Moldova.

Category
Economics
Publication date

Zelenskyy described a potential deal with Trump on valuable minerals

Office of the President of Ukraine
Zelensky explained how he sees the agreement with Trump

Head of State Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to discuss with US leader Donald Trump various options for an "agreement" regarding the extraction of valuable minerals in Ukraine. Kyiv's main condition is that it be a mutually beneficial format.

Points of attention

  • An agreement between Ukraine and the United States on the extraction of valuable minerals should be beneficial for both sides.
  • Zelensky seeks to stop the Russian army, which receives valuable minerals from Ukrainian territories for free.

Zelensky explained how he sees the agreement with Trump

As the head of state noted, first of all, cooperation between Ukraine and the United States should be mutually beneficial.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy seeks to stop the Russian army, which is occupying Ukrainian territories and simply receiving valuable minerals for free.

What is important to understand is that many of these lands and the Black Sea shelf have already come under the control of dictator Putin.

According to the president, this is the "concrete money" that Ukraine can offer to allies who help it defend itself.

We can give our partners, primarily American businesses, the opportunity to invest in them. We can mine, develop, and process together. These are jobs, these are revenues for American companies, for Americans, Ukrainians, and Europeans. We are very open. But we need to talk about this in a substantive way.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Volodymyr Zelenskyy

President of Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially confirmed that we are talking about "very serious volumes" of resources that can potentially be extracted.

As I said about uranium or titanium, we are the largest at least in Europe... It seems to me that it is very important to protect it. So that it does not go to the Russians for free or others to whom the Russians can give it — to Iran, North Korea, to whom they can give it for something — for debts, for some support. And to China...

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