25 Apr 2022 15:57

Kyiv disappointed with Austrian FM's remarks that Ukraine shouldn't be offered EU membership

KYIV. April 25 (Interfax-Ukraine) - The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has voiced its disappointment over Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg's remarks that Ukraine should not be offered membership in the European Union.

"We are disappointed with the remarks by Austria's federal minister of foreign affairs about Ukraine's European future. We consider them to be strategically short-sighted and not in the interests of the united Europe. Such remarks also ignore the fact that the vast majority of the population of the EU's founding states supports Ukraine's membership," Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko said on Sunday.

"Their biased perception of reality has already led to the political and economic weakening of Europe. Continuing to postpone Ukraine's membership in the EU under various pretexts or looking for an alternative to it means slowing down the strengthening of the European Union through the addition of Ukraine's capabilities," Nikolenko said.

Ukraine has every reason to demand the unbiased recognition of its merits and its strategic role for the EU, he said.

Austrian Foreign Minister Schallenberg said earlier that Ukraine should not be offered EU membership and spoke in favor of searching for other forms of cooperation with Kyiv. Ukraine hopes to be admitted to the EU via a special fast-track procedure.