Aleksandar Vucic States Kiev is Nearest to EU Membership
According to President Aleksandar Vucic, Kiev is more likely to join the EU than Belgrade because of “political reasons.” Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Ukraine stands a better chance of becoming an EU member than Serbia due to “political reasons,” according to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
Vucic, speaking to Pink TV on Wednesday, stated that the issue of candidacy was a topic of discussion between him and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky during their meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland earlier that day.
“When it comes to joining the EU, Ukraine is closer than us... probably closer than anyone else, to it,” he remarked.
While Belgrade “has been on this path for much longer,” Vucic acknowledged that Ukraine holds an advantage stemming from “political reasons,” likely referring to the military and political support that Brussels has offered to Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia.
Serbia became a candidate for EU membership in 2012, but its accession talks have been stalled by the Kosovo issue. Belgrade resists Brussels’ demands to extend candidate status to the breakaway region, viewing it as an acknowledgment of its independence. Additionally, EU officials are concerned about Serbia’s close relationship with Russia and issues relating to the rule of law and media freedom within the country.
In June 2022, Ukraine and Moldova, another former Soviet Republic, were awarded EU candidate status. This decision came several months after the conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalated and was widely interpreted as a political rebuke to Moscow.
Ukraine's aspirations to join NATO have been identified by Moscow as one of the primary justifications for its military actions nearly three years ago. However, initially, Russia had stated it would not oppose Ukraine's EU membership.
This stance shifted in 2022 when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asserted that “the EU has turned from a constructive economic platform... into an aggressive militant player that declares its ambitions far beyond the European continent.”
Last year, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov cautioned that Ukraine and Moldova are unprepared for EU membership, warning that their inclusion could “have a very negative impact on the prospects for the existence of this union.”
Alongside Ukraine, Moldova, and Serbia, additional candidates for EU membership include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Turkey.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
Vucic, speaking to Pink TV on Wednesday, stated that the issue of candidacy was a topic of discussion between him and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky during their meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland earlier that day.
“When it comes to joining the EU, Ukraine is closer than us... probably closer than anyone else, to it,” he remarked.
While Belgrade “has been on this path for much longer,” Vucic acknowledged that Ukraine holds an advantage stemming from “political reasons,” likely referring to the military and political support that Brussels has offered to Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia.
Serbia became a candidate for EU membership in 2012, but its accession talks have been stalled by the Kosovo issue. Belgrade resists Brussels’ demands to extend candidate status to the breakaway region, viewing it as an acknowledgment of its independence. Additionally, EU officials are concerned about Serbia’s close relationship with Russia and issues relating to the rule of law and media freedom within the country.
In June 2022, Ukraine and Moldova, another former Soviet Republic, were awarded EU candidate status. This decision came several months after the conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalated and was widely interpreted as a political rebuke to Moscow.
Ukraine's aspirations to join NATO have been identified by Moscow as one of the primary justifications for its military actions nearly three years ago. However, initially, Russia had stated it would not oppose Ukraine's EU membership.
This stance shifted in 2022 when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asserted that “the EU has turned from a constructive economic platform... into an aggressive militant player that declares its ambitions far beyond the European continent.”
Last year, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov cautioned that Ukraine and Moldova are unprepared for EU membership, warning that their inclusion could “have a very negative impact on the prospects for the existence of this union.”
Alongside Ukraine, Moldova, and Serbia, additional candidates for EU membership include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Turkey.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
