Danish Foreign Minister says EU should not lower bar for Ukraine's membership

This is reported by The Guardian.

Rasmussen said that such actions could lead to imported instability.

According to him, Denmark supports the accession of Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and the Western Balkan countries to the EU, but governance reforms cannot be postponed due to the geopolitical situation.

"If you don’t complete the reform process before you enter, then there could be a risk of slowing down afterwards. And we do not export stability, we risk importing instability. And that’s why it is so important to stress the need of fulfilling the [EU membership] criteria," the Danish Foreign Minister said.

Rasmussen said that if Ukraine needs a special regime, it should consist of increased aid to ensure that Kyiv complies with EU norms.

"We want to invest and we want to assist and we want to be as positive and help some as possible, but we can’t lower the bar," he said.

What is known about Ukraine's accession to the EU

Ukraine applied for EU membership on 28 February 2022 during the Russian-Ukrainian war. 

On 1 March 2022, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on member states to work towards granting Ukraine candidate status. Ukraine expects an accelerated membership procedure, as it has already implemented a significant part of the goals of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.

On 27 April, Shmyhal said that the European Commission should provide Ukraine with an interim report on the implementation of seven recommendations for EU accession by the end of this spring. In autumn, Ukraine is expected to receive candidate status and start negotiations on joining the EU.

On 11 May, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved a plan to reform the country's law enforcement system, which includes all law enforcement agencies and the prosecutor's office.

During a speech in parliament on Constitution Day, President Zelenskyy proposed five points of the Ukrainian Doctrine for discussion.