Fast Tracking Ukraine into the EU

[anothernewbbaccount]

@DukeTrout

There’s even an open chair where the UK used to sit.

JFC - this is not how it works. There is not a set number of chairs. There are no ‘open’ chairs.

@Ryuthrowsstuff

The idea that Ukraine is part of Europe, has always been a part of Europe, and will be part of Europe.

I don’t think you can view the talk of EU membership outside of that context. And boiling it down to whether they can or can not, tomorrow, seems to very much miss the point, because frankly it won’t be happening tomorrow. I really, really doubt anyone in Ukraine thinks it will.

In that context the Association Agreement goes some way towards that, and already creates

@Ryuthrowsstuff

a formal tie to and commitment from Europe.

Some magical new EU rules to circumvent existing processes to fast-track or jump Ukraine’s application ahead, won’t make much difference, and as I said, even if it could happen, would be entirely symbolic at this stage.

@Mister44

You can’t just jump the turn style, there are these forms and metrics that have to be met first. While a mugger stabbing people is coming up from behind.

Having been accused of trivialising the situation, by using an analogy, I hesitate to criticise this, but in the real world (like in a golf club analogy) both parties have some volition and some rules to follow. The turnstile has none - it bears no relationship to the EU (or a golf club) unless you are positing a sentient turnstile with a choice as to whether to allow itself to be jumped over, or with programmed rules that force it to prevent itself being jumped over.

@Ryuthrowsstuff

You don’t think it would help keep diplomatic pressure and public interest going in Europe?

No, I don’t think it will make any significant difference to public interest (JFC, there is NOTHING else on all our news channels and programmes here in UK, at least, and several European countries have more public interest than they can handle, with so many people flooding over EU borders) and I’m not sure it would make any difference to diplomatic pressure. There is already a huge amount of that, and it is having not one iota of impact on Putin other than to make him adopt an even harder line about ‘persecuted Russia’.

@Ryuthrowsstuff

And lock Ukraine in to a series of reforms after this is all over, the ones Zelenskyy was elected to pursue. Even if he dies.

This does assume that ‘after this is over’ means Russia has not won. And if that is the case, then no ‘locking in’ will be remotely necessary. Ukraine will, and then can, go hell-for-leather for EU membership, under the standard processes, and will be encouraged and well supported to do so.

Whilst nation-building and message-sending may be of some help in the longer term, they do nothing to stop cities being levelled today and tomorrow and this week and next week and so on and will do absolutely nothing to inhibit Putin - in fact they may have the opposite effect of making him even more determined (if that were possible) to ensure he gets Ukraine and puts a stop to its westward drift.