Polish FM: Ukraine's EU accession talks don't guarantee success

MOSCOW, June 27. /TASS/. The fact that Ukraine has begun negotiations on EU accession does not mean they will be successfully concluded, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stated.

"It is important, however, to remember one thing: the start of EU accession negotiations does not guarantee a successful conclusion," the top diplomat said on TVN24. "Some areas of the negotiations will be very difficult, and it will be necessary to develop solutions that benefit both sides," he emphasized. The foreign minister also pointed to Poland’s advantage as an EU member state in these negotiations. "Poland, as an EU member state with veto power, is in an advantageous position in this regard," Sikorski noted.

According to polls, nearly 60% of Poles do not support Ukraine’s accession to the EU.

On June 15, Ukraine began negotiations on the "core" or "fundamental provisions" cluster, which includes five chapters: justice, freedom, and security, legal and fundamental rights, financial control, public procurement, and statistics. Negotiations on EU accession are structurally divided into 33 negotiation chapters. Across all these sections, candidate countries must bring their legislation into full compliance with EU standards. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos stated that the EU expects negotiations on the remaining four clusters of negotiation chapters to begin in July.