The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Ukraine is disappointed with the statements of the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Austria, Alexander Schallenberg, that Ukraine should not be offered EU membership.
As Interfax-Ukraine reports, this was stated by the spokesman for the MFA, Oleh Nikolenko.
"We are disappointed with the statements of the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Austria on Ukraine's European future. We consider them strategically shortsighted and not in the interests of a united Europe. Such statements also ignore the fact that the vast majority of EU founders support Ukraine's membership." - said Nikolenko.
He reminded that the Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, had already noted that the Ukrainian people are paying too high a price for the mistakes of many European governments.
"Their biased perception of reality has already led to the political and economic weakening of Europe, enabled russia to undermine stability in the EU, and introduce hybrid aggression against European countries. It seems that the current war, casualties, and destruction are not enough for them. Postponing Ukraine's membership in the EU or looking for an alternative to it means indulging Putin's aggressive plans and slowing down the strengthening of the European Union that could be done by connecting Ukraine's capabilities, " - Nikolenko said.
The spokesman for the MFA noted that Ukraine has every reason to demand objective recognition of its merits and strategic role in the EU.
"Thanks to the indomitable will and courage of the President of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, Europe can live in peace today. Without exaggeration, our country has become an outpost for the protection of EU security, European freedom, and European values," - Nikolenko said.
Earlier, the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Austria, Alexander Schallenberg, said that Ukraine should not be offered membership in the European Union.
And Austrian Minister of Finance Magnus Brunner said that the country would not support a gas embargo against Russia.
The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Oleh Nikolenko