Portuguese foreign minister advocates for Ukraine's EU inclusion

Bloomberg reports that Portugal is actively lobbying for Ukraine’s EU membership, with Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel urging immediate preparations during the Ambrosetti Forum in northern Italy on 7 September.

The Ambrosetti Forum, an annual conference attracting prominent world leaders, saw the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this year. The gathering took place against the backdrop of escalated Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine and air attacks on Ukrainian cities, and a month into a Ukrainian military incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

Portugal’s Foreign Minister said in an interview on the sidelines of the Forum:

“We are very engaged in the enlargement process,” Rangel stated. “We need to prepare to receive Ukraine in the EU when that’s possible,” he added, highlighting that this process “will require a financial and institutional reform that we should take care of immediately.”

portuguese foreign minister advocates ukraine's eu inclusion european union <br><span class=mw-mmv-title original-title=><span class=legend-color mw-no-invert style=background-color#003399; colorwhite;> </span> current members (27) <span style=background-color#46a43b; colorblack;> </span> candidates negotiating (6) style=background-color#71f268; (2) style=background-color#ffd617; colorblack;> </span> applicant / potential candidate — The European Union:

Current members (27) Candidates negotiating (6) Candidates (2) Applicant / Potential candidate (1) Candidate with frozen negotiations (1). Map: Wikimedia Commons/Giorgi Balakhadze.

There are currently nine recognized EU membership candidates: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, and Ukraine. Kosovo, not recognized by five EU members, is considered a potential candidate. Negotiations are active with six candidates: Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, North Macedonia, Moldova, and Ukraine, while talks with Türkiye have stalled since 2016.

FM Rangel commented on the recent developments, saying,

“Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region has clearly changed the perception of the balance of the war.”

He also called for negotiations towards a peace process, reiterating the EU’s stance that any talks about ending the conflict should be led by the government in Kyiv. At the same event, Zelenskyy and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni agreed to work towards organizing a conference next year, focusing on Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.

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Portuguese foreign minister advocates for Ukraine’s EU inclusion