EU must address serious questions before enlargement

Moldova and Ukraine were granted candidate status to join the EU in 2022 and formal accession negotiations were launched in June 2024. But it was only last month that the first substantive negotiations opened. Despite optimistic rhetoric from some European capitals, it is likely that full membership will take a significant amount of time. This is not necessarily a reflection of the potential or readiness of Moldova or Ukraine. It is more a reflection of the EU’s unpreparedness to absorb them, especially a country as large as Ukraine.