How fast can Ukraine integrate into NATO?

Ukraine has made its value choice and considers itself part of the Western world. The wall should be built on the eastern border of Ukraine, and the western border should become as transparent as possible and gradually turn into an administrative line.

The institutional forms of integration today are the processes of gaining membership in the EU and NATO. This is a goal enshrined in the Constitution, and it is supported by the consensus of political elites and society. As for the European Union, a report on the fulfillment of the 'homework' is expected in June, and in the fall Ukraine may move to the next stage - membership negotiations. The decisions to appoint members of the HCJ, heads of the SAPO and NABU through competition commissions have been made. Discussions continue on who will have a decisive influence in the commission for the selection of judges of the Constitutional Court. The provisions of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive have been implemented. Work is underway to implement the FATF recommendations to combat money laundering, and draft laws are actually ready. Some experts are demanding that the amendment on 'lifetime PEPs' be reintroduced, although lawyers have criticized it as a violation of the constitutional provision that laws cannot be passed with retroactive effect. The most resonant debate may be over the compliance of Ukrainian language and education legislation with the European Charter for National Minorities. Hungary and sometimes Romania have their own particular position on this issue.

“Even if we move to the next bureaucratic stage of membership, the final decision may not be very fast. That is why it is equally important for Ukraine to have point agreements and treaties that explicitly integrate the Ukrainian economy and our citizens into the European legal space.”

Even if we move to the next bureaucratic stage of membership, the final decision may not be very fast. That is why point agreements and treaties that explicitly integrate the Ukrainian economy and our citizens into the European legal space are no less important for Ukraine. For example, the continuation of the real duty-free and quota-free trade regime for Ukrainian goods is certainly positive. The story of the blockade of grain exports should also be a lesson for Ukraine. Even with super-partnerships with neighboring countries, their elites care about the economic interests of their businesses, and their corporations know how to lobby for protectionist decisions. In Europe, this is not prohibited, if you go through the regulatory acts and directives.

European integration also means free movement of labor. By obtaining the right to temporary protection, Ukrainian citizens have gained access to the labor market and educational services in Europe, and have assessed their competitiveness, but diplomatic efforts should also be directed at ensuring that Ukrainians can continue to submit their resumes for vacant positions in Europe - officially and with the same rights as EU citizens. Even the abolition of roaming charges for mobile operators is also real European integration. When developing recovery and reconstruction plans, the biggest challenge is to coordinate with the EU the development of those production clusters whose products will be supplied to the European market. Whether it is meat processing, pharmaceuticals, or green energy, this should be a joint decision with the EU.

“In a month and a half, at the summit in Vilnius, Ukraine expects not just statements about 'open doors,' but concrete agreements on the terms and conditions of accession. Ukraine considers NATO to be the only guarantor of collective security in the face of long-term threats from Russia.”

As for NATO, in a month and a half, at the summit in Vilnius, Ukraine expects not just statements about 'open doors,' but concrete agreements on the terms and conditions of accession. Ukraine considers NATO to be the only guarantor of collective security in the face of long-term threats from Russia. If the condition for membership is the end of hostilities, this should also be discussed openly. The summit will discuss proposals for security guarantees for the time before joining the Alliance, based on the Kyiv Security Treaty. However, these guarantees are in no way an alternative to membership, as President Zelenskyy has officially stated. The agreements with NATO and its members will cover stable supplies of weapons for the defense forces and the modernization of the Ukrainian defense industry. Ukroboronprom is already implementing the first joint projects with Western companies. Here, too, the lessons of the grain blockade should be taken into account, as the arms production market is much more competitive than the food market.

And if formal membership procedures are postponed for a long time due to the resistance of some countries, Russian lobbying, or other international factors, then the project of a confederation of Ukraine and Poland with the EU and NATO extending to the new entity as the successor to Polish membership in these unions may be revived.

Specially for Espreso

About the author. Ihor Popov, political expert at the Ukrainian Institute for the Future

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