EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova: "Yesterday marked 12 years since Russia began its war against Ukraine with the illegal occupation of Crimea"

Let’s be clear about this. The war did not start in 2022, as some people still think. It started in 2014. The world hesitated. It kept trading with Putin. It hoped the problem would stay contained. Or go away. It didn’t.

History has its own sense of irony.

These days, in Brussels, Ukraine has moved decisively closer to its future in the European Union.

The EU has now provided Ukraine with the full set of benchmarks for the last three negotiation clusters for EU accession. These are one on competitiveness and inclusive growth, another on the green agenda and sustainable connectivity and the last one on resources, agriculture and cohesion.

This is not just symbolic progress. It is structural, measurable and real.

As European Commissioner Marta Kos put it, Ukraine’s progress is

“impressive, especially under the most difficult circumstances.” Ukraine is defending its territory and sovereignty while transforming its laws and institutions at the same time.

The next steps are clear. Deliver reforms and finalise the six clusters in total.

Twelve years after Crimea, Ukraine is not where the Kremlin wanted it to be.

Being anti-Russia is not enough. We need to be pro-Ukrainian in Europe. And when you look closely at Ukraine’s story, that is not a difficult task at all!