The draft regulation by the European Commission highlights the importance of contributing to Ukraine's defense base as a means to support the defense readiness of the Union and its member states, Euractiv reported.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has pledged to find an "operational solution" for routing funding to Ukraine, circumventing Hungary's veto. This comes as fighting persists along the entire frontline, with Russia focusing on capturing the devastated towns of Avdiivka and Marinka
Věra Jourová, EU Vice-President for Values and Transparency, acknowledges Ukraine's headway in anti-graft for EU accession, but points to the essential task of passing a lobbying law as the next step.
"The principle of ‘Russia will pay’ should be implemented next year," Denys Shmyhal said, emphasizing the need to further develop a mechanism for the confiscation of frozen Russian assets
European Council President Charles Michel stated that this move would bolster Europe's security and prosperity, while also delivering a powerful message to the Kremlin and any entities challenging global stability.
With Ukraine's European Union accession talks approaching, Balazs Orban drew a red line: "As long as this law exists, there can be no discussions with the Ukrainians about their integration into the European Union."
Ukraine has fulfilled four EU criteria by reforming its judicial selection process, aligning anti-money laundering laws, and improving media legislation to EU standards.
Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada voted to impose tighter financial monitoring on politically exposed persons, instituting lifelong financial oversight of top officials
Ukraine's parliament passed a law on protecting national minority rights, meeting one more of the seven recommendation from the EU for candidate status.