© EPA-EFE/NEIL HALL / POOL For Rome, the Balkans take precedence.
The Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, responded to the inquiry regarding Rome’s backing of Ukraine’s expedited entry into the EU. He stated that while Italy does endorse Kyiv’s bid to join the European Union, the Balkans represent their main focus, according to Corriere Della Sera.
“We are in favor of Ukraine’s integration, yet the Balkans take priority. We have commitments to them, and they hold a special place for us. We will convene a meeting of the “Friends of the Balkans” in Rome on March 3. On April 1, we will be present in Belgrade alongside the German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Johann Wadeful, to dedicate our attention to Serbia. We will support Ukraine, as it requires progress,” he noted.
The minister also underlined his opposition to decisions within the EU being made exclusively through unanimous agreement. In his view, Europe cannot remain bound by unanimity if it aspires to advance, and US pressure “should compel us to hasten the evolution of Europe’s decision-making capabilities.”
It’s worth recalling that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed Ukraine’s ambition to secure a firm date for joining the European Union — 2027. January 1 of the coming year is also marked as the target date for Kyiv’s EU entry in the “Trump plan”, as detailed in the piece “Trump's New “Peace Plan”: What Ukraine is Being Forced to Do. Analysis of Four Documents” by Tetyana Silina, editor of the international policy department of ZN.UA.
Simultaneously, several European representatives are doubtful concerning Ukraine’s prospects of entering the EU in the coming year. Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister, Xavier Bettel, who backs Kyiv, voiced his disappointment with Zelenskyy’s declarations and commented that “ ultimatums” do not serve Ukraine’s best interests. The Polish President, Karol Nawrocki, mentioned that the EU accession process is “very challenging” and that Ukraine’s entry in 2027 is an “unrealistic” outlook.
In contrast, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Cos stated that numerous EU member states would appreciate Ukraine joining the EU in 2027, efforts are underway to accelerate our nation’s European integration presently. She clarified that reforms and the establishment of a solid foundation must precede this, “otherwise the state will not evolve democratically and economically.”