Is Ukraine’s accession to the EU possible without full control over its territory? Lessons from Cyprus

“The Ukrainian path to the EU is without exaggeration unique and will remain so. For Ukraine, the example of Cyprus may be relevant only in the sense that it demonstrates: a state may enter the EU even without full control over all of its territory”.

Serпiy Solodkyy, Director of the New Europe Center, explained in a comment for Channel 24 that the nature of the Russian-Ukrainian war and Russia’s behavior differ significantly from the situation on the island. “Turkey supported the settlement plan for Cyprus that would have led to the EU membership of the entire island (including its northern part — controlled by Ankara). Ankara could have viewed such a scenario as a key to its own EU membership. Greek Cypriots, as is known, rejected this plan. This is a very simplified presentation of much more complex processes, yet this story shows how irrelevant the Cypriot experience is overall for Ukraine. Can you imagine Russia allowing a referendum on EU membership in the occupied territories? Russia will never accept Ukraine’s membership in the EU; for Moscow, the enlargement and strengthening of the EU constitute a strategic threat,” the expert adds.

The Director of the New Europe Center emphasizes that despite EU membership, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will play the key role in ensuring peace in Ukraine. In his view, accession to the EU will primarily strengthen Ukraine economically, which in turn will allow the country to reinforce its defence sector and military capabilities, simultaneously enhancing its political and diplomatic capacities.

At the same time, Serпiy Solodkyy noted: “The EU has set before Ukraine a large array of reform-related homework, the successful implementation of which should lead to membership. Among these conditions, there is no requirement of ‘full control over the entire territory.’ For that matter, Ukraine is not the only country in such a situation — Moldova, which is among the frontrunners in advancing towards EU membership, faces similar circumstances, as does Georgia, which has so far significantly slowed down its integration process”.