Ukraine to European Union

[InfUA]

What do you think, will Ukraine ever get to European Union?
To be accepted every member have to agree as far as I know.
What do you think which countries would be for or agianst ukrainian membership in european family?

[CDMan477]

Any discussion involving membership for the Ukraine let alone Georgia may be moot at this point.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...9CTqa8y-NCniBw

[InfUA]

Hi, its about EU and not NATO!

[CDMan477]

Hi, its about EU and not NATO!

My apologies. I had not even heard of talk of admission to the EU for them up to this point so I made an error here. I'm getting tired I suppose.

[Babur]

Hi, its about EU and not NATO!

I think there is a general confusion between the EU and NATO on this forum.

[Erik]

I don't think any EU member would have a problem with The Ukraine joining, but the EU is almost collapsing under its own weight as it is so I don't think it will happen soon.

I think there would be a lot of opposition from the ethnic Russians in the Ukraine, though.

[Carach]

I don't think any EU member would have a problem with The Ukraine joining, but the EU is almost collapsing under its own weight as it is so I don't think it will happen soon.

I think there would be a lot of opposition from the ethnic Russians in the Ukraine, though.

since when is the EU on the verge of collapse? why hasnt this been in any news outlet in the world, erik?

[Chlodwig I.]

Maybe when Ukraine is able to pay it's energy bills

[YuriVII]

Well most every EU member is a member of NATO and vice versa with few exceptions. Maybe it would be better to say "should the Ukraine be apart of the Euro-Atlantic Bloc?" To which I would say "no!" Hands off our land, take Lvlv if you want it, but that is traditionally Russian land and birthplace of our civilization.

[InfUA]

Well most every EU member is a member of NATO and vice versa with few exceptions. Maybe it would be better to say "should the Ukraine be apart of the Euro-Atlantic Bloc?" To which I would say "no!" Hands off our land, take Lvlv if you want it, but that is traditionally Russian land and birthplace of our civilization.

Hi, you are wrong, Austria and Cyprus are in EU but not in Nato.

[razor-]

Hi, you are wrong, Austria and Cyprus are in EU but not in Nato.

Finland, Sweden and Ireland are not either as far as I know.

[Ishoss]

Well most every EU member is a member of NATO and vice versa with few exceptions. Maybe it would be better to say "should the Ukraine be apart of the Euro-Atlantic Bloc?" To which I would say "no!" Hands off our land, take Lvlv if you want it, but that is traditionally Russian land and birthplace of our civilization.

It's not Russian land, it's Ukrainian.

[Holger Danske]

Well most every EU member is a member of NATO and vice versa with few exceptions. Maybe it would be better to say "should the Ukraine be apart of the Euro-Atlantic Bloc?" To which I would say "no!" Hands off our land, take Lvlv if you want it, but that is traditionally Russian land and birthplace of our civilization.

Ukraine does not belong to Russia, Yuri. It belongs to the Ukranians, and if they want to be part of the Western bloc then there is not much Russia can do about it without losing face and risk conflict with the West... I personally welcome anyone who's tired of being under Moscow's boots.

[2-D Ron]

Ukraine does not belong to Russia, Yuri. It belongs to the Ukranians, and if they want to be part of the Western bloc then there is not much Russia can do about it without losing face and risk conflict with the West... I personally welcome anyone who's tired of being under Moscow's boots.

Aye, Russia's been waving their willy in terms of fighter jets in EU Air Space long enough.

[Phunkracy]

Well most every EU member is a member of NATO and vice versa with few exceptions. Maybe it would be better to say "should the Ukraine be apart of the Euro-Atlantic Bloc?" To which I would say "no!" Hands off our land, take Lvlv if you want it, but that is traditionally Russian land and birthplace of our civilization.

Ok, we can take Lviv

Ukraine should remain independent country. Just as Belarus. Also, I don't see why Russia deserves to have one more country as their vassal in Europe. We've got enough concerns with Belarus, so no, thanks.

[Romano-Dacis]

Ok, we can take Lviv

Hey, we've started rectifying Ukraine's incredibly huge and artificial borders? So long as we get back what is our I'm happy.

Anyway Ukraine will not be a part of the EU at least for the next decade because:
1) It's too poor. Even Romania and Bulgaria were borderline and they were included mostly because it was believed accession would accelerate economic development and there was big pressure on the EU by corporations to open up those markets. In Romania in particular there is a flat tax that is very attractive, such that within months of the country's accession we saw many corporations migrating there, like Nokia. Ukraine simply can't compete since its market is not open enough.
2) Ukraine has a large amount of foreign debt which does not belong to the EU. It would threfore be an even bigger economic liability.
3) Ukraine's population is very big, bigger than Poland's or Romania's. Given the huge scare regarding immigrants circulating places like the UK or Italy I doubt they are looking for more labor any time soon.
4) Ukraine is pure and simply not considered a free country in terms of media. It is not in line with European values of an open market and a free press currently and therefore cannot be considered.

If you ask me the EU is going to take in Croatia long before it takes in Ukraine.

[Phunkracy]

Hey, we've started rectifying Ukraine's incredibly huge and artificial borders? So long as we get back what is our I'm happy.

No problemo East for Russia, West for Poland, South for Romania Makes sense for me

Anyway Ukraine will not be a part of the EU at least for the next decade because:
1) It's too poor. Even Romania and Bulgaria were borderline and they were included mostly because it was believed accession would accelerate economic development and there was big pressure on the EU by corporations to open up those markets. In Romania in particular there is a flat tax that is very attractive, such that within months of the country's accession we saw many corporations migrating there, like Nokia. Ukraine simply can't compete since its market is not open enough.

And it's freakin damn corrupted state. Not to mention it's politics is crazy.

If you ask me the EU is going to take in Croatia long before it takes in Ukraine.

Absolutely no doubts about that.

[YuriVII]

Read carefully, I highlighted the important part of my last post:

Originally Posted by YuriVII
Well most every EU member is a member of NATO and vice versa with few exceptions. Maybe it would be better to say "should the Ukraine be apart of the Euro-Atlantic Bloc?" To which I would say "no!" Hands off our land, take Lvlv if you want it, but that is traditionally Russian land and birthplace of our civilization.

Those countries you two named are the exceptions, and even then they are used for base locations by NATO countries (Ireland and Cyprus). In general, especially in regards to the Eastern Expansion of the EU. EU membership means NATO membership too. Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Baltic countries. I think it will be like that if Ukraine becomes apart of EU.

[Babur]

Yeah, I said with few exceptions. Those are the exceptions.

The EU and NATO are distinct from each other though in fact their roles have arguably conflicted in recent years.

[YuriVII]

The EU and NATO are distinct from each other though in fact their roles have arguably conflicted in recent years.

True they are distinct from each other, but EU has no official common defense policy, so NATO fills that void.

Yushchenko wants both. To him joining NATO and EU is what it takes to join that ambiguously named term "the West."

This guy wanted to talk about EU not NATO, so I dont want to sidetrack from it too much. In my view, joining EU doesn't come without joining NATO Either its beforehand like Poland, Romania and Bulgaria or shortly afterwards. That has been the trend in the East. Ireland, Cyprus, and Austria are not in the East.