Noncompliance with EU recommendations endangers Ukraine's security – Ukrainian MP

This statement was made by MP Mykola Kniazhytskyi at the Ukrainian parliament, where he commented on the European Commission's report concerning Ukraine, which was released on October 30, and the subsequent reactions to it.

“The main thing the report says is that pluralism of opinions must be restored. This means that the media should be free, illegally closed television channels should work, and there should be no pressure on the media. The state budget should not finance a television marathon. These are the most important points of what it says,” he said.

Mykola Kniazhytskyi added that the report also contained other important points, including MPs' business trips, the requirement for the Rada TV channel—which covers the activities of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine—to broadcast parliamentary sessions, and various other significant matters that he believes should be addressed.

“If we don't do this, our process of joining the European Union will actually be slowed down. And a slowed-down process of joining the EU means a slowed-down process of cooperation with NATO, and this poses a real threat to our national security. Nobody will support a country if it is authoritarian, because the point is that authoritarian Russia, authoritarian North Korea, and their other authoritarian allies are trying to destroy democracy. And this is the main reason why our allies support us. When we testify and show that we do not really want to build democracy, this support will be much less,” the MP explained.

In response to a question about whether the government’s lack of action on these commitments could lead partners to link the issue to funding, the MP emphasized that by receiving funds from the EU, Ukraine has already incurred certain obligations. However, he pointed out that this issue is significant not just from a financial perspective; it also has implications for Ukraine's EU membership aspirations, which could be called into question.

“We are well aware that not all countries in the EU want to see us there. The reasons are different. Some recall historical politics, some have real economic concerns and are afraid of competition with Ukraine, some have reached an agreement with Russia, which is actively working in the EU. And the fact that the Ukrainian authorities do not want to implement the EU's recommendations and say that we will do it after the end of martial law shows that they do not even realize the risks they are pushing Ukraine into. Because this will be a pretext to slow down the process of our European integration, which is directly linked to financial assistance to both us and the Ukrainian army,” he emphasized.

Background

On October 30, the European Commission criticized Ukraine's United News national telethon and said that Ukraine should work to restore a “pluralistic media landscape.”

In 2023, the Ukrainian government allocated public funds to a TV marathon project. The report suggests that it may be time to reevaluate whether this serves as the most effective platform for fostering free discussion.

In addition, the report drew attention to the Rada TV channel, whose main task, according to the European Commission, should be to disseminate information about parliamentary activities, in particular the work of representatives of the parliamentary opposition.

Ukraine's Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications, Mykola Tochytskyi, responded to the European Commission's remarks regarding the telethon by stating that “its support will conclude once martial law is lifted.”