Italy's support for Ukraine's full European Union membership is unwavering, but work must be done with Ukraine to "lay the groundwork" allowing the country to complete the bloc's rigorous accession process.
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STOCKHOLM — Italy's support for Ukraine's full European Union membership is unwavering, but work must be done with Ukraine to "lay the groundwork" allowing the country to complete the bloc's rigorous accession process, especially in the area of combatting corruption, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Friday.
“We are in favour of Ukraine joining the EU as a full member, but we must lay the groundwork to achieve this goal," Tajani told reporters on the sidelines of a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden.
"The ultimate goal is to see Ukraine enter the EU as a full member, alongside Western Balkan countries. This aspect is of crucial importance to us (Italy)," he continued.
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"Certain rules must be respected,” said Tajani, adding that he had discussed Italy’s potential role in combating graft with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a recent visit to Ukraine, Adnkronos news agency reported.
Italy was prepared to deploy officers from its tax police, which have extensive experience in the fight against corruption and are already in contact with Ukraine's economy and finance ministry, Tajani noted.
"We are looking at how we can help combat corruption and thus help Ukraine comply with all the EU accession criteria. This is a concrete contribution," Tajani underlined.
Tajan's comments came after Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in a letter to EU leaders on Thursday, pitched the idea of "associate membership" of the EU for Ukraine, which would allow Ukrainian officials to take part in EU summits and ministerial meetings but not vote in them.
Such a move could help Zelensky sell Ukrainians a peace deal to end the more-than-four-year-old Russian invasion, Merz argued. Merz also suggested the EU make a “political commitment” to apply the bloc’s mutual assistance clause to Ukraine, arguing this would provide “a substantial security guarantee” should Ukraine not regain all of its territory or join NATO – outcomes that are both widely expected.
EU candidate countries must align with the bloc's norms in 35 policy areas, or 'chapters' - from justice standards and corruption to farm and fishing rules: a process that can take many years. All 27 EU members must agree before each chapter of negotiations can be opened and closed.
Ukraine applied for EU membership in February 2022 after Russia’s invasion and began entry negotiations in June 2024. European officials say Ukraine’s full membership of the bloc in the next few years is unrealistic. However, a 2027 entry date was pencilled into a 20-point peace proposal discussed by Zelensky and US President Donald Trump in late December.