Arms deliveries to Ukraine should be high on Zelensky’s agenda. But it will probably also affect Ukraine’s candidacy for the European Union again, thinks European journalist Geert Jan Hahn. “For Zelenskyj, his arrival has four main reasons: symbolism, the lobby, EU membership and Russian isolation”.
Symbolism of Zelensky’s arrival
According to Hahn, Zelensky’s arrival in Brussels is itself symbolically important. ‘So far he has been in the United States, with a stop in Poland, but not yet in the heart of the EU: Brussels. This is symbolically important.” In Brussels he will then give a speech to the European Parliament and meet various European leaders.
Again lobbying for Ukrainian interests
Zelensky’s previous speeches in various European parliaments have focused on arms deliveries for the war against Russia, financial support and sanctions against Russia. Zelenski should press for it again, says Hahn. “Whenever he’s somewhere, he not only has symbolic value, but also joins in for more support.”
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According to Hahn, it is especially important that he is present in person. ‘People then see that he’s not a film actor, but that he really exists. Politicians then see who they do it for ». Zelensky will then use that effect to talk about more powerful weapons, like fighter planes, among other things. “Zelensky wants us to search all warehouses for weapons to collect for war.”
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But there are major obstacles to the supply of arms, notes the European journalist. For example, Zelensky will want weapons to be delivered faster. But that’s not happening right now. «He wants export licenses to be relaxed. Due to procurement rules and legislation, it now takes a long time for weapons to reach Ukraine,’ says Hahn.
However, the question is whether this will actually happen, because there is legislation that aims to prevent hasty deliveries of weapons due to the high risks. Companies also sometimes have gun licenses, which means that permission must be granted before guns can be shipped. ‘Commercial companies fear that trade secrets will otherwise be exposed. This could happen if Russia gets its hands on weapons.’
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How far is Ukraine from EU membership?
Since the beginning of the war, Zelensky has emphasized that Ukraine wants to belong to the European Union. Gradually, EU leaders have also felt the need, although it is still a long way off. In the summer of 2022, Ukraine formally became a candidate member of the EU, but true membership can sometimes take many years. Although things could change again ‘In March last year, European leaders were not yet interested in applying for membership, but three months later the time had come. So it can go fast.’ This was stated by a senior EU official before the EU summit.
For this, a number of conditions must first be met. For example, there must be “stable democracy and the rule of law”, there must be a well-functioning economy, the country’s laws and rules must be the same as in the EU, and the EU must not be annoyed by Ukraine . ‘There is still a long way to go. They themselves claim to have fulfilled 72 percent of the conditions of the association agreement with the EU,’ reports Hahn. This was also emphasized again by Igor Zhovkva, deputy chairman of Zelensky’s cabinet. The association agreement with the EU, which the Netherlands voted against in an advisory referendum in 2016, should be a first step towards possible EU membership.
Hahn expects Zelensky to again argue that Ukraine is on track for membership. “Furthermore, he could also cite cleanliness within his government when it comes to corruption.” In recent weeks he has dismissed many officials of the government apparatus. “And he may also be taunting the European Parliament, which is itself facing a corruption riot.”
Sanctions and isolation
Bottom line, Hahn also expects Zelensky to want more sanctions against Russia, which began an all-out invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. “So it’s about more sanctions, but also about further isolating Russia.” The latest EU sanctions package now dates from December. This was already the ninth sanctions package introduced by EU member states against Russia. The tenth package of sanctions could follow later this month. This will be presented – symbolically – around the anniversary of the Russian invasion. The sanctions package will likely include an export ban on Russian drone parts and should prevent evasion of previous sanctions.
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