EU – UKRAINE NEGOTIATIONS: UNDERWATER STONES

The article discusses the circumstances of the decision to start negotiations between the EU and Ukraine on membership in the union, the prospects and difficulties of the new and, as it is commonly believed, the final stage of Ukraine’s accession to this interstate union. The proposed and adopted framework of negotiations does not provide a clear answer to the main question of interest to Ukraine about the timing of accession and the EU’s readiness for it. The author believes that despite the fact that accession for the first time in an official EU document is named as the ultimate goal of the relevant policy, the proposed path to it does not differ much from those offered to the candidate countries earlier. The EU statement and the negotiating framework do not adequately reflect the size and importance of the country in question, as well as the changed context in which the negotiations are to be conducted. Although the main focus of the parties is on the legal aspects of the problem, the pace and, most importantly, the outcome of the negotiations will largely depend on economic and political circumstances. In the author’s opinion, this implies a rethinking and adjustment of the EU enlargement processes in general and Ukraine’s accession in particular.