Croatian PM rejects fast-track EU accession for Ukraine

Moscow (ANTARA) - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has rejected a simplified EU accession procedure for Ukraine, insisting all candidate countries must meet the same requirements. “If we abandon the concept of individual achievements for each country and implement a fast-track procedure, there should be no shortcuts for some countries and longer paths for others,” Plenkovic said on Wednesday 27 May. He said the issue would be discussed at the European Council meeting in June. On Tuesday, media outlet Euractiv reported that the EU hopes to begin direct membership negotiations with Ukraine before the European Council summit on 18-19 June. The EU granted candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova in June 2022, with formal accession negotiations starting in June 2024 through the first intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg. Several European research institutions have assessed that Ukraine’s EU accession process still requires further reforms and is expected to take several years.