Ukraine should combat corruption and implement fundamental reforms, - German Ambassador to EU Ossowski
Ukraine must confront not only Russian aggression but also domestic problems—corruption, shortcomings in the rule of law, and public administration. This is a necessary condition for advancing negotiations on accession to the European Union.
According to Censor.NET, citing Ukrinform, this was stated by Thomas Ossowski, head of the German Mission to the EU, during an event in Brussels organized by the German Marshall Fund and dedicated to negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
"Russia's aggression is an external threat to Ukraine, and Ukraine has our full solidarity and support. At the same time, we expect Ukraine to also combat its internal enemies—corruption, shortcomings in the rule of law, and, in some cases, in the area of public administration," the diplomat said.
Germany supports Ukraine's European integration
Ossowski noted that these issues also pose a challenge for European Union member states, particularly Germany. They are being discussed in the European Parliament and at meetings of the Council of the European Union.
According to a representative of Germany, enlargement should strengthen the European Union, not weaken it. Therefore, candidate countries must ensure that fundamental reforms are implemented.
At the same time, Ossowski believes that the remaining negotiation clusters for Ukraine must be opened "as soon as possible."
He also dismissed as misguided the discussion about a possible "separation" of Ukraine and Moldova in the negotiation process.
According to the diplomat, both countries are currently moving toward membership together; however, once all chapters have been opened, the pace of further progress will depend entirely on the candidates themselves—specifically, on how quickly they can implement EU legislation (the EU acquis).
