The EU will need to substantially reform its rules before Ukraine can join, French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters on Friday. Macron backs Kiev’s accession to the bloc, but warned that Ukraine must not be allowed to undercut EU industry.
The European Council agreed on Thursday to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban – who opposes Ukraine’s membership – abstained from voting on the decision. Council President Charles Michel hailed the decision as “a very powerful political signal,” but Orban and other skeptics like Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico have argued that the move has little practical significance.
Macron echoed their statements on Friday, telling reporters that Ukraine is still “very far from” joining the bloc.
During a press conference, Macron was asked whether the admission of Ukraine would threaten the livelihoods of French farmers, who would be massively undercut by cheaper produce from their Ukrainian counterparts.
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