Ukraine must be patient over EU membership, Slovak PM Fico says
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has said that Ukraine must remain patient in its bid to join the European Union, arguing that some of its strongest military supporters could eventually oppose its accession because of the financial burden it would place on the bloc.
In an interview, Fico said EU member states could become concerned about the impact Ukraine's membership would have on the union's budget.
"They will fear that Ukraine will put a heavy burden on the EU budget," Fico said. "Yes, that is the other side of Ukraine's entry into the European Union. Therefore, everything has its time, and Ukraine must be patient. It must be very, very patient," he added.
Fico also questioned the European Union's proposed €90 billion ($103 billion) support package for Ukraine, claiming the bloc was funding Ukrainian weapons production that could later be sold back to EU member states.
"We are already in a mess. If we give someone 90 billion for the production of weapons, for support, for all sorts of things, they will manufacture weapons from it and then sell them back to the European Union," he said.
The Slovak prime minister said Slovakia's presidency of the Visegrad Group (V4) would focus on competitiveness, EU enlargement, people-to-people relations and practical cooperation, while making peace a fifth priority.
The European Union formally opened accession negotiations with Ukraine in June 2024. On Friday, EU member states reached a technical agreement to begin opening another accession negotiating cluster with Ukraine and Moldova, with formal approval expected on July 14.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
