The EU and Ukraine - Where to next?

In this Policy Brief on EU-Ukraine relations Amanda Paul and Vasyl Belmega look at developments in Ukraine’s relationship with the EU since independence twenty years ago. With Ukraine in the final stages of negotiating an Association Agreement, including a groundbreaking Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the EU, relations are set to strengthen. However, Kyiv remains disappointed by the EU’s unwillingness to offer the country a clear membership perspective, while at the same time the EU is increasingly concerned about a perceived rolling back of democracy, compounded by the court case against former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. The authors say that while Ukraine needs to do more to boost democracy and implement key reforms, the EU needs to develop a longer-term strategy for the country, clearly acknowledging Kyiv’s geostrategic crossroads while also showing willingness to offer greater assistance in modernising and democratising the country.