Ukraine deserves EU candidate country status - presidents of European Parliament, Latvia

DAVOS. May 25 (Interfax) - As a country sharing the European Union's fundamental values and principles, Ukraine deserves to be granted EU candidate country status, President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola said.

"Why would we spend once again decades hiding behind legalities when it's just simply a question of political will?" Metsola said at the Davos Ukrainian Breakfast 2022 organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday.

Latvian President Egils Levits also supported the idea that granting EU candidate country status is a political decision, which the EU should make.

"If we should be serious and take our principles seriously, then of course there is no way to say that Ukraine [does not belong] to Europe, and then there are technical issues [as to] how to do it. I think candidate status is the beginning of the process," Levits said.

"Candidate status is the starting point, and we should give this candidate status to Ukraine. It is, I think, realistic, and it is possible, and it is also in our interests," he said.

As reported earlier, Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands on Tuesday assessed Ukraine's chances to become EU candidate country as "not very great." At the same time, Kyiv expects to acquire this status as early as in June 2022.