Ursula von der Leyen arrived safely and without incident by train in Kiev on Friday afternoon, accompanied by a larger delegation. And yet the war immediately cast its long shadows – in contested Donbass many people died as a result of a rocket impact. They were waiting for a train at Kramatorsk train station to escape the war zone. “I am saddened by the loss of life and will personally offer my condolences to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,” the commission’s chairman wrote on Twitter upon his arrival.
Thomas Gutschker
Political correspondent for the European Union, NATO and Benelux countries based in Brussels.
This was his first conversation partner on arrival. Von der Leyen had previously told journalists on the train that he saw his trip as a “clear sign of support for Ukrainians”. The country urgently needs help. Together with other donors, they are ready to help rebuild and reform the country. The most important topic for Zelenskyj will likely be his country’s path to the EU. “We want to support Ukraine and give it hope,” he announced. And then he dared to go far: “Our aim is to present the Ukrainian application to the Council this summer.”
Fast lane in three months?
That means Kiev is now getting a sort of fast track procedure. Assessing readiness for membership typically takes one to one and a half years. EU institutions are saying this could be completed by the time of the EU summit in June – that would be just three months. This is surprising because at the meeting of heads of state and government four weeks ago in Versailles, a cautious majority of states prevailed. She opposed Kiev’s accelerated accession and insisted that the examination of the application for accession be carried out “in accordance with the relevant provisions of the treaties”, i.e. in accordance with standard procedure.
There are no fixed time limits, but von der Leyen is viewed critically on the board. They are pushing the pace, which is clearly politically motivated, they say. The Commission wanted to return the ball to the states as quickly as possible so as not to be held responsible for delays. Only member states, with the consent of the EU Parliament, can decide on the candidate’s own status – unanimously. This may take a while, but the chairman of the Commission increases the pressure and strengthens Zelenskyj in negotiations with Moscow. And that wasn’t the only gift the visitors brought.
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Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger, who was traveling with him, announced that he would give the Slovak missile defense system as a gift to Ukraine. Developed in Soviet times, the S-300 system is already operated by Ukraine; however, some cities, including Kharkiv, are not well protected. The Slovak government announced this step in March – on the condition that its own airspace is protected by allies. The Bundeswehr took over this with Patriot batteries.