The EU wants Ukraine to clean up its act.
Ukraine must implement reforms to fight corruption and strengthen its institutions if it wants to be eligible to join NATO, said Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, during the second day of the NATO summit in Vilnius.
Von der Leyen encouraged Ukraine to implement further reforms and pledged the support of the European Union. According to Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet, von der Leyen’s statement “said in plain language that there was still so much corruption and opacity in Ukraine’s institutions that it could not yet get the green light to join NATO or the European Union.” However, the paper also noted that von der Leyen noted the country’s efforts were appreciated and it had made a lot of progress.
Ukraine needs long-term security.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 12, 2023
At the @NATO Summit we are discussing how to best provide for this.
The EU contributes with investments, weapons, training and support to the reforms that can lead Ukraine into the EU and NATO. pic.twitter.com/0HRIPcAg36