Austrian minister opposes 'fast-track EU accession' for Ukraine

Austria has spoken out against Ukraine's rapid accession to the European Union, with the country's Minister for European Affairs, Claudia Bauer, criticizing President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"My impression is that the Ukrainian president has, in recent months, frequently drawn attention to himself by wanting to dictate an accession date to the EU," Bauer told the Sunday edition of the Welt newspaper. "A fast-track accession upon request is obviously not possible."

She explained that there is a duty to carefully consider the EU's capacity to absorb new members. "The accession of Ukraine, with its 39 million people and an entirely different agricultural structure, would significantly alter the EU."

She also warned against creating a "two-tier society" as a result of the accession. "All candidate countries, including Ukraine, must follow the same rules and earn their accession through their own efforts," she added.

The EU began accession negotiations with Ukraine in mid-June of this year. The first phase of negotiations will focus on topics such as the judicial system, the protection of fundamental values and security. However, numerous reforms are still required in Ukraine for accession, for example in the fight against corruption.

Earlier this year, Zelensky had called for EU accession as early as 2027, despite widespread scepticism in some European countries.