There are a number of obstacles on the way to Ukraine's EU membership. Firstly, the terms of entry are delayed by the war. Secondly, internal reforms that slow down movement in the EU.

This is stated in the material of Channel 24 EU membership not in 20 years: when Ukraine is admitted to the European Union. In particular, this opinion was voiced by the Ukrainian political scientist Vitaliy Bala.

War is not the only obstacle

At the same time, he stressed that granting candidate status to Ukraine was not just a “symbolic act”, and the state is now an equal partner of the bloc.

Several obstacles stand in the way of rapid European integration. Firstly, the terms of entry, of course, are delayed by the still ongoing brutal war. At the same time, some internal reforms in Ukraine slow down the movement to the EU, – said Vitaliy Bala.

Specific examples of internal interference

He explained by the example of the law on the Constitutional Court, criticized by the Venice Commission. According to the expert, the Unified Telethon was also criticized by the EU due to the lack of pluralism of opinions. The political scientist also mentioned the procedure for selecting candidates for the post of director of NABU.

“These are the problems that are now in sight. European partners and opponents of Ukraine, who, relatively speaking, have an accession clause, see everything. For the latter, there are arguments to say that Ukraine is not yet ready to join,” the expert notes .

Finally, according to Vitaliy Bala, Ukraine should harmonize its law with European law and enable state institutions to work the way they should.

Ukraine has already come a long way

Ukraine's representative to the European Union, Vsevolod Chentsov, told Channel 24 that in the face of a brutal war with Russia, Ukraine has come a long way towards EU membership.

Chentsov noted that slowing down the process of Ukraine's accession to the EU through Russia would mean helping to achieve the goals of the aggressor. That is why countering this intention is a common task for the EU and Ukraine.

Briefly about Ukraine's accession to the EU

• A year ago, Ukraine applied for membership in the European Union and received candidate status. This year, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, it is time to make a decision to start negotiations on membership.
• The Ukrainian leader stressed that the timing of joining the Alliance no longer depends on Ukraine. Kyiv supports this geopolitical course to the maximum and shows it on the battlefield.