Conference on Ukraine's EU path held in Zagreb

The European Parliament office in Zagreb held a conference today titled “EU, Ukraine, Croatia – How to Build a Sustainable Democracy.”

Croatian Member of the European Parliament Tonino Picula said that “EU enlargement for Ukraine was never a technical process — it is, above all, a geopolitical issue.”

He added that Ukraine is not an ordinary candidate for EU membership. “In this context, the European Union can and must do everything within its power to support Ukraine, while recognising that there are also significant limitations,” Picula said.

Fellow MEP Karlo Ressler, also a member of the Committee on Budgets, noted that the €90 billion Europe plans to lend Ukraine is undoubtedly a substantial sum. However, he emphasized that it also represents a major investment, as well as a continuation and strengthening of the solidarity maintained over the past four years.

The Croatian government highlighted that its own challenging journey from independence to full Euro-Atlantic integration could provide a valuable model for the war-torn country.