Ukraine’s entry into the European Union would help guarantee its security and help ward off any future Russian attack in the event of a peace deal, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said.
European leaders are grappling to keep Washington onside in the stop-start negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, while at the same time rebuffing US president Donald Trump’s ambitions to take over Greenland, the semi-autonomous Danish territory near the Arctic.
The idea of fast tracking Ukraine’s accession into the EU, usually a years-long process beset by political stumbling blocks, has become a feature of talks about ending the full-scale war that began when Russia invaded Ukraine nearly four years ago.
The head of the EU’s powerful executive arm, Ms von der Leyen said Ukraine’s entry into the 27-state union would be a “key security guarantee” for Kyiv, should Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin agree to a peace deal.
“Peace talks are ongoing at the same time Russia continues its brutal shelling. This is the moment to keep our support strong and sustained, so we can put Ukraine in a position of strength on the battlefield and the negotiating table,” the commission president said.
Europe was ready to work alongside the US on postwar plans to revive Ukraine’s economy, she said.
“Accession is both a key security guarantee in its own right, but also the essential engine for future growth and prosperity of Ukraine,” the German politician said.
Hungary’s far-right government led by Viktor Orbán has used veto powers to block Brussels and Kyiv making progress in negotiations on EU membership, since Ukraine’s bid to join the bloc after Russia’s 2022 invasion.
A peace deal that included commitments to take Ukraine into the EU as a member state would require a total overhaul of the union’s complicated and politically charged accession process.
Speaking on Thursday, Ms von der Leyen said Europe found itself navigating “turbulent geopolitical waters”.
The commission president reiterated EU support for Denmark and Greenland. The strategically important ice-covered island has become the latest point of strain in the transatlantic relationship.
“What is clear is that Greenland can count on us, politically, economically,” Ms von der Leyen said.
Mr Trump has repeated his desire for the US to “own” Greenland, despite the protests of Greenlanders, and Denmark, a traditional staunch ally of Washington.
The debate about Arctic security was a “core issue” for the Nato military alliance, but something of crucial importance to the EU as well, Ms von der Leyen said.
Ms von der Leyen was speaking in Limassol, Cyprus, during a visit marking the Mediterranean state assuming the EU presidency, an important deal making role that rotates between national governments every six months.