President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz has said he thinks that at the moment it is more important to immediately lend assistance to Ukraine than to discus the country's prospects of joining the EU.
During a press conference after the EU summit and traditional exchange of opinions with the heads of states and governments, Schulz said that he didn’t think it was a real possibility that Ukraine would join the EU in the near future. Schulz said he didn’t want to make any promises, as he believed that at the moment Ukraine didn’t’ need to talk about long-term prospects. According to him, what Ukraine needs is assistance for the short-term.
However, on behalf of the EP, Schulz welcomed the signing of the political part of the Association Agreement.
The European politician also talked about providing Ukraine with financial support. According to Schulz, the EP wants to do this through a streamlined procedure. The EP president said that they had to help Ukraine deal with social issues or else Ukraine would be in risk of collapsing due to social problems.
Schulz also spoke in favor of immediate presidential and parliamentary elections with “the people’s mandate.”
According to him, in the following months the aid provided by the EP mustn’t be limited to specific requests for reforms. There will be discussions with the new government about a long-term strategy to improve the economy and competitiveness of the country. However, the EP president also noted that Ukraine didn’t need to discuss specific reforms, but needed money for tomorrow so that the country could work. The politician summed up that it was more important to provide immediate assistance.
