As the results of the NATO Summit in The Hague and the EU Summit in Brussels have been released, it has become clearer than ever that European and world leaders are indeed considering ways to address Ukraine’s future. At the same time, the gap between ideas and reality has become much bigger than ever before as these approaches actually take little or no account of the Ukrainian people and their vital interests. It should also be noted that the interests of Europeans are also not taken into account when it comes to Ukraine.
From the outcome of the discussions at these summits, it is obvious that Ukraine’s path to the European Union will not be as easy as experts had previously assumed, not to mention the NATO summit where President Zelenskyy was not invited, except for the gala dinner on the eve of the summit. Apart from the fact that the final declaration of the NATO Summit in The Hague says that Ukraine’s defence is recognised as a priority for the Alliance, no further steps have been taken.
It should also be noted that some European officials have recently warned of growing fatigue in host countries toward Ukrainian refugees. It is a matter of serious concern for Ukrainians that a recent survey in one of Ukraine’s most steadfast supporters, Poland, revealed that more Poles oppose Ukraine’s accession to the EU and NATO than support it. Reasons cited for opposition include concerns over unfair economic competition, corruption in Ukraine, and fears of significant war escalation if Ukraine joins NATO.
Political gestures such as the appointment of a special envoy for Ukrainian refugees fleeing to the EU, former EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylvva Johansson, or the extension of temporary protection for Ukrainians until 2027 are likely to continue in the EU, but it should be stressed that these gestures alone are of little significance. (It is about roughly 4.3 million people, namely displaced Ukrainians, who have found refuge in the EU since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.)
In addition, the unveiling at the main office of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg of the ‘Wall of Optimism’ (a mural by a Ukrainian artist), dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s membership in this organisation is no less remarkable gesture.
In the interpretation of Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset the word ’optimism’ is also an acronym, which he explained as follows:
’O – Our future depends on what we do now.
P – Peace must be defended… always.
T – Truth is our secret weapon.
I – Innocence must never be surrendered.
M – Memory demands justice.
I – Identity is a gift.
S – Solidarity makes us one.
M – Momentum is on the side of freedom.’
Regardless of all this, as time passes, Europeans need to be reassured again and again that Ukraine is not holding Europe back, on the contrary, fuelling its growth.
’Ukraine is not merely an object of integration. Ukraine is a source of renewal for the European Union. I firmly believe that we do not create strategic challenges for Europe. On the contrary, we reduce those challenges. We are an answer, not a question.’, Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine Andriy Pyshnyy recently emphasised at a conference in Kyiv.
It is worth reminding all EU and NATO leaders involved in shaping Ukraine’s future that Ukraine cannot be viewed solely in terms of ’territories’ and ’markets’, adding that Ukraine is not just those almost 5 million people who are in the EU today. Those who will decide on the future of Ukraine, will also determine the future and fate of more than 38 million Ukrainians and, if you add the entire EU population, the well-being of nearly 500 million people will be at stake.
Keeping this in mind, the responsibility for this choice should be taken by all those who dare to express their opinion on Ukraine’s joining the EU and NATO.
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