Axios calls the EU approval of candidate status for Ukraine along with Moldova “a symbolic victory for Kyiv”.
A commentary in RT has called it a “PR stunt”.
For comparison, Turkey has had candidate status since 1999, but it is still far from actual membership. Even with a best-case scenario, EU membership for Ukraine would take many years and would require massive changes in policies related to democratic institutions and minority language rights.
Is candidate status for Ukraine for real?
Or is it just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic?
Yes, Ukrainian candidate status is more sizzle than steak. Given the dismal news from the battlefield, I would not be surprised if the Zelensky government is gone within a year. Candidate status is symbolic at this point.
The collapse of the EU may not be much far behind a collapse in Ukraine. They appear to be trying to provoke a confrontation with Russia by restricting rail shipments through EU member Lithuania. The restrictions are in apparent violation of a 1993 treaty between Russia and Lithuania concerning access to Russian territory in Kaliningrad.
At the same time, inflation is surging and an economic crisis is looming. Bad economic news comes in response to EU sanctions on Russian energy in addition to the lingering effects of printing massive amounts of money during the COVID lockdowns.
The EU action on Ukraine seems more like moving deck chairs on the Titanic than anything of real consequence.
