Dutch PM proposes compromise on Ukraine-EU Association Agreement

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told journalists on Oct. 31 that he’s still trying to find compromise with his members of parliament on the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement that would enable it to be signed, Prime Minister Mark Rutte told journalists on Nov. 1, as reported by the Deutsche Welle news agency. In order to take the concerns of Dutch citizens into account, he said he proposed in a letter to the MPs that the agreement does not serve as a basis for Ukraine’s legal membership in the EU, does not offer collective security guarantees or mandatory military support and does not give Ukrainians the right to work in EU countries. He said he will also submit such proposals to EU leaders ahead of a Dec. 15 summit.

Zenon Zawada: It’s a strict rule that the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement can’t be amended and we share the widely held view that it won’t be. We expect the agreement will maintain its current status as temporarily implemented for an extended period of time, with ongoing to efforts to implement its conditions without full ratification. At this point, the agreement reflects Ukraine’s membership status with the EU – it can’t be canceled, but it’s far from approval. Ultimately, the failure to ratify the agreement in the next year or so doesn’t affect Ukraine’s Western integration efforts in any meaningful way. Far more important are meeting requirements for Western loans and measures such as the visa-free regime.