Europeans favor Ukraine's EU membership, skeptical on others – The Guardian

The Guardian writes about it.

Recent polling across six EU nations, conducted by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), suggests that Europeans are generally open to the idea of Ukraine joining the EU. This sentiment, however, is less enthusiastic when it comes to Georgia and Western Balkan states. The survey reveals notable opposition to Turkey's potential EU membership.

The European Commission's recommendation to start formal accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova will be discussed at an upcoming summit in Brussels. Despite widespread support for Ukraine's candidacy, Hungary's Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, opposes initiating negotiations with Kyiv.

The polling highlights varying degrees of support for Ukraine's entry, with Denmark and Poland being the most positive. Yet, economic and security concerns persist. There is also considerable resistance to the idea of Turkey joining the EU, with more than half of respondents across the surveyed countries opposing it.

While the focus of the upcoming summit is on membership pathways for Ukraine and others, the debate on the specifics of achieving enlargement is in its early stages. ECFR experts call for a concrete timeline, allowing for internal EU reforms and public understanding of the necessity of enlargement.

The survey identifies a clear divide between "old" and "new" EU member states, with Austria, Germany, and France less inclined to admit new members. Support for accession varies across countries, with Denmark, Romania, and Poland showing more openness to expansion.

The survey indicates a nuanced European stance on EU enlargement, with Ukraine's potential entry receiving more support than that of other nations, but with considerable reservations and skepticism regarding the overall expansion of the bloc.