EU, Ukraine and V4: Integration in times of war

Dr. Grigorij Mesežnikov

Interactions between the EU, Ukraine and Visegrad (V4) countries are nowadays dramatically impacted by the full-scale war launched by Russia in 2022. Among the motives that encouraged Russia to start this war, the most important was the intent to stop the process of Ukraine’s rapprochement with the West and its integration into Western structures. That created a serious challenge for the EU and its member states; the way in which they will handle this challenge will determine the destiny of the entire project of European integration.

1. Brussels and national capitals have to treat Ukraine’s integration as an extremely urgent issue. The highest EU institutions and the governments of the member states should consider Ukraine’s accession process a matier of the highest strategic priority and should adapt their modus operandi accordingly. This includes strengthening administrative capacities aimed at implementing Ukraine’s accession process and repeatedly sending Ukraine political signals that its decision about Ukraine’s membership in the Union is irreversible.

2. EU Member States have to maintain their strong support of Ukraine. Government representations of EU member states should clearly support Ukraine’s integration efforts and should influence their own citizens to strengthen support for Ukraine as a candidate and allied state on whose fate the future of a united democratic Europe is mutually dependent.

3. The EU has to speak openly to people about what is at stake, communicating to European citizens the message of Ukraine’s importance for the success of the entire European integration project. An explanatory information campaign in European media could target both policy makers and the general public.

4. The Visegrad Group has to be more efficient and inventive. V4 countries should intensify their activities towards Ukraine within the framework of national and international – including European – programmes, projects and other forms of cooperation. In doing so they should use their own transformation and integration experience and apply the strategies of their mutual interactions in the accession process which helped them to reach their full-fledged EU membership quicker.

5. The EU has to try to return Hungary to pro-Ukraine trajectory. Despite Hungary’s heavy resistance to Ukraine‘s membership, the EU and national
governments should not stop puting pressure on Budapest. Brussels should also send clear signals to member states, including those from the V4, about the unacceptability of coalescing with Hungary on this issue.

This policy paper is part of the project ‘Central Europe and Future EU Enlargement’. The project is co-financed by the governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from the International Visegrad Fund.

An expanded version of the paper is available on the website of the Institute for Public Affairs.