BERLINER MORGENPOST
Berlin (ots)
It was not a good day for the Russian President, but even more so for democratic Europe. At the military parade on Red Square, signs of weakness on the part of Putin and his army could not be overlooked. The incomplete march and Putin’s speech, with the well-known bits and pieces about Russia’s alleged fight against fascism, were not a show of strength, but showed nervousness in the face of setbacks in the war. Then Putin had to let the united Europe show him that he had long since failed in his central goal of the Ukraine war. Regardless of how the fighting continues, Putin’s aggression has irrevocably made Ukraine part of Western, democratic Europe — exactly what the Kremlin ruler wanted to prevent.
Chancellor Scholz and Commission President von der Leyen sent an impressive signal with a double appearance in the EU Parliament in Strasbourg and in Kiev. The two Germans showed on behalf of the Union that Putin’s attempts to intimidate the West were in vain. They not only promised further military support and help with reconstruction. For Ukraine, the clear commitment to becoming a member of the European Union was of equal value. But as important as this solidarity was on Europe Day, the leaders of the EU must follow their words with deeds.
Even the future arms aid for Ukraine is not a sure-fire success, the efforts of the Europeans have visibly diminished. Most recently, the Union of Ukraine swaggeredly promised a million urgently needed artillery shells – and then had a bad argument about how the delivery should be organized.
No less irritating is the reluctance with which the EU is tackling the far greater challenges of Ukraine’s accession. It is completely unclear how long the huge but poor country will be able to meet the tough admission criteria of the Brussels club – the Commission has preferred to postpone an interim report. The EU is currently unable to accept new members anyway, decisions take too long and are blocked too often. The ban on grain imports from Ukraine imposed by Poland and other Eastern Europeans shows just how great the task of internal reforms is. An early club admission of the eastern granary with corresponding subsidy claims would cause huge upheavals, especially in agriculture. A major, painful reform of agricultural support is inevitable.
But nobody in Brussels dares to touch this hot potato. What is von der Leyen waiting for? Above all, the EU Commission is in demand. If the EU does not want to snub Ukraine, it must quickly prepare itself for a major enlargement. It would be wise to also work on alternatives in the event that full EU membership cannot be achieved so quickly. But neither the one nor the other happens.
The fact that Putin will largely fail in his war aims shouldn’t mislead the EU into drawing the wrong conclusions. Europe’s new order after the war will be a political task of the century. Without speedy efforts in Brussels, too, Ukraine faces a bitter disappointment later on. And Europe a loss of credibility far beyond Eastern Europe.
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