TERVUREN, Belgium — European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen mentioned on Tuesday that Ukraine had fulfilled “nearly” all the necessities set out by the EU to start out accession talks, forward of a pivotal European Council summit in December.
“To see the deep and structural reforms that Ukraine is doing whereas combating an existential battle is to me deeply impressing,” von der Leyen informed a POLITICO occasion.
“They’ve fulfilled all the mandatory necessities for nearly all of the seven steps we requested them to do … after they grew to become a candidate nation.”
The EU is anticipated to announce the opening of accession talks for Ukraine, which was granted candidate standing in June, following the mid-December summit of European leaders in Brussels.
Earlier this month, von der Leyen mentioned Ukraine had accomplished “nicely over 90 p.c” of the stipulations set out by the EU, because the Fee really useful opening accession talks with each Ukraine and Moldova.
Throughout her POLITICO interview, von der Leyen additionally touched on a former EU member nation — the UK, whose departure following the 2016 Brexit referendum shook the bloc’s foundations.
Requested if she thought the U.Ok. might ever rejoin the EU, von der Leyen mentioned undoing Brexit was a problem for the following technology.
“I preserve telling my kids: It’s a must to repair it. We goofed it up, you must repair it,” the top of the Fee mentioned.
Turning to the longer term, von der Leyen reiterated the necessity for the EU to cut back its dependence on China — particularly concerning essential minerals, the place Beijing has asserted its dominance.
“Since 20 years, China has purchased mine after mine globally, takes the uncooked materials, processes it in China and has the monopoly on among the essential uncooked supplies like, for instance, lithium for clear applied sciences,” von der Leyen mentioned.
“That is the explanation why I mentioned we have now to de-risk, not decouple from China … as a result of it could not be in our curiosity and I feel it isn’t viable.”
With the top of her first time period as Fee president in sight as Europe prepares for June EU elections, von der Leyen, who has but to announce a bid for a second mandate, remained guarded.
“Usually I say good strive when this query comes,” the Fee chief mentioned. “So sadly I’ve to go away you with that massive query mark.”