3 ms·

The EU will Welcome Ukraine but won't fast-track its Membership Application

9 points by News-Dog 5y ago

mikece 5y ago
What is the practical advantage of being in the EU? Is the currency that important? Can't Ukraine negotiate Schengen-like agreements with any country it wants? I guess I don't see the allure of being "in the club" (and yes, maybe my view as an American colors this a bit).
- dane-pgp 5y ago
  > Can't Ukraine negotiate Schengen-like agreements with any country it wants? I don't think individual EU members can form Schengen-like agreements with Ukraine, since a Ukrainian citizen once in that member's territory can then travel around the whole Schengen area freely (while Ukraine might not grant the same privilege to citizens of other EU member states). > I guess I don't see the allure of being "in the club" A more obvious reason could be the collective defence clause of the Lisbon Treaty, which binds EU members to assist any of their number whose territory is the subject of armed aggression. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/summary/glossary/collective_defence.html https://eur-lex.europa.eu/summary/glossary/collective_defenc...
  - mikece 5y ago
    > A more obvious reason could be the collective defence clause of the Lisbon Treaty, which binds EU members to assist any of their number whose territory is the subject of armed aggression. Then what's the purpose of NATO?
    - dane-pgp 5y ago
      To ensure that Europe will protect the US?[0] Seriously, though, you realise that NATO and the EU have different members, right? If Russia invaded Finland, then Finland (as a non-NATO EU member) would not be able to invoke Article 5 to call on the defence of all NATO countries, but it would in theory be supported by an EU military mission. I guess you're asking "Why aren't all EU members also NATO members?" to which I don't know the answer, but I think an answer would start with "It's complicated..." or "Historically...". [0] https://www.nato.int/docu/update/2001/1001/e1002a.htm https://www.nato.int/docu/update/2001/1001/e1002a.htm

9 points by News-Dog 5y ago

What is the practical advantage of being in the EU? Is the currency that important? Can't Ukraine negotiate Schengen-like agreements with any country it wants? I guess I don't see the allure of being "in the club" (and yes, maybe my view as an American colors this a bit).

dane-pgp 5y ago
> Can't Ukraine negotiate Schengen-like agreements with any country it wants? I don't think individual EU members can form Schengen-like agreements with Ukraine, since a Ukrainian citizen once in that member's territory can then travel around the whole Schengen area freely (while Ukraine might not grant the same privilege to citizens of other EU member states). > I guess I don't see the allure of being "in the club" A more obvious reason could be the collective defence clause of the Lisbon Treaty, which binds EU members to assist any of their number whose territory is the subject of armed aggression. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/summary/glossary/collective_defence.html https://eur-lex.europa.eu/summary/glossary/collective_defenc...
- mikece 5y ago
  > A more obvious reason could be the collective defence clause of the Lisbon Treaty, which binds EU members to assist any of their number whose territory is the subject of armed aggression. Then what's the purpose of NATO?
  - dane-pgp 5y ago
    To ensure that Europe will protect the US?[0] Seriously, though, you realise that NATO and the EU have different members, right? If Russia invaded Finland, then Finland (as a non-NATO EU member) would not be able to invoke Article 5 to call on the defence of all NATO countries, but it would in theory be supported by an EU military mission. I guess you're asking "Why aren't all EU members also NATO members?" to which I don't know the answer, but I think an answer would start with "It's complicated..." or "Historically...". [0] https://www.nato.int/docu/update/2001/1001/e1002a.htm https://www.nato.int/docu/update/2001/1001/e1002a.htm