Ukraine moves a step closer to joining EU: Here's what it means & why it won't be easy

“Victory” for Ukraine and Europe said Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy after leaders of the European Union agreed to open EU membership talks with Kyiv. The move is seen as a big boost for the war-hit Ukraine and a strong message to Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, it could take years for the country to become a member of the EU. Let’s find out why EU membership is important and at the same time hard for Ukraine. What is the EU?  The European Union, or EU, came into existence after World War II as a trading bloc with a bold ambition: to prevent another war between Germany and France. EU had six founded members - Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Gradually, the EU began expanding to contain 27 democratic nations, many from the former communist bloc in Eastern Europe, inspired by the idea that economic and political integration among nations is the best way to promote prosperity and peace. In 1999, there was the creation of the shared euro currency, the continent’s open borders, and trailblazing rules to reduce carbon emissions and regulate tech giants. How to get EU membership? There is a lengthy process that candidate countries must go through to join the EU. The willing nations are required to align their laws and standards with those of the bloc and show that their institutions and economies meet democratic norms. Launching accession talks requires approval by consensus from the current member nations. Why Ukraine wants EU membership? Ukraine is among several other countries that have long wanted to join the EU, seeing it as a path to wealth and stability. Membership in the bloc is seen by some as a rampart against Russian influence. Ukraine had officially applied for EU accession less than a week after Russia invaded in February 2022. Its capital, Kyiv, faced the threat of capture, and Zelenskyy’s government faced the threat of collapse. The start of membership talks less than two years later is only one step in a long journey, but it sends a strong signal of solidarity with Ukraine just as US support for Ukraine’s military is faltering and a Ukrainian counteroffensive is stalled - and as Putin appears increasingly emboldened. It offers a ray of hope for Ukraine even as EU members failed Thursday to agree on a more immediate boost in the form of 50 billion euros ($55 billion) in aid to keep the Ukrainian economy afloat. Why Ukraine’s journey to join EU has been shaky? The EU officials had earlier said talks couldn’t formally begin until Ukraine addresses multiple issues including corruption, lobbying concerns and restrictions that might prevent national minorities from studying and reading in their language. While EU officials say Ukraine has made progress on these issues in recent months, it still has a long way to go. Every EU member has gradually agreed to support Ukraine’s bid - except Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Putin’s greatest ally within the EU. Orban maintains that Ukraine isn’t ready to even start talking about EU membership. In a surprise move, Orban stepped aside Thursday and abstained from the vote to allow Ukraine’s membership talks to begin. It is just a beginning, and many steps remain. Debt crises, waves of migration and Brexit have all contributed to the bloc’s skittishness toward expanding its ranks in recent years. So, too, did the growth of Euro-skeptic political forces in many member countries. But the urgency created by Russia’s invasion and Ukraine’s request for expedited consideration upended the EU’s go-slow approach to adding new members and reversed years of ’enlargement fatigue.’ Thursday’s decision also has an impact on other would-be members, who feel the EU is showing favouritism. Who are the other candidates to join EU? In 1987, Turkey applied for membership and received candidate status in 1999. It had to wait until 2005 to start talks for actual entry. Only one of more than 30 negotiating chapters has been completed in the years since, and the whole process is at a standstill as a result of various disputes. Several countries in the Balkans, meanwhile, have become discouraged by the bloc’s failure to live up to its lofty membership promises. North Macedonia submitted its entry bid in 2004. Even after subsequently changing its name to settle a longstanding dispute with EU member Greece, the country is still waiting for membership talks to begin because Bulgaria threw up a hurdle related to ethnicity and language. Bosnia remains plagued by ethnic divisions that make reform an almost impossible challenge. The commission said last month that it should only start membership talks after more progress is made. It expressed concern about the justice system and other rights failures in the Bosnian Serb part of the country. Serbia and Kosovo refuse to normalise their relations and stand last in the EU’s line. With inputs from AP