EU peace mission suffers in Ukraine
10.09.2008
"Hesitating with Ukraine's accession to the EU tells about our lack of long term vision. The events in Georgia proved that the European Neighbourhood Policy has completely failed, and that we should not leave the ENP countries at the mercy of expansionist policy of current leaders of the Kremlin", comments Ari Vatanen, MEP, about the outcome of the EU-Ukraine Summit held on Tuesday 9 September in Paris, France.
The EU offered Ukraine an association agreement while Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko was seeking a strong signal about the country belonging in Europe. The agreement leaves the path to future membership open. Russian officials have been said to be angered by moves by Ukraine and Georgia to strengthen the ties with Europe, which clearly illustrates Russia's will to keep former Soviet Union countries on a short leash. "We have to build democracies – not cold war power blocks", Mr. Vatanen captures.
Ukraine's EU membership would not be against the interests of Russian people: a democratic and prosperous Ukraine could play a crucial role in helping Russia to make a turn towards building a true democracy. "We have to give Ukraine the EU light in the end of a tunnel", Mr. Vatanen insists and goes on: "It has a magnificent power which focuses people's attention to a common goal instead of their daily quarrelling. If we leave Ukraine alone now we fail miserably our 'raison d'être' – peace building!"
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