Sandu on EU accession: Ukraine and Moldova have chosen not a request, but the right to be part of Europe
Moldovan President Maia Sandu stated that Ukraine and Moldova’s accession to the EU is not a “concession” on Europe’s part, but a strategic choice for the security of the entire continent. She emphasized that both countries have already proven their right to be part of the European Union by choosing the European path under difficult conditions.
Moldova and Ukraine are not “asking for a place” in the European Union, but have in fact already earned it through their choices and actions, stated Moldovan President Maia Sandu during a speech in Chisinau at the opening of the ministerial session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
According to her, the path to the EU is not a request for help, but a shared strategic interest that strengthens the security of the entire European space. “Moldova, like Ukraine, has earned its place by choosing the European path under difficult conditions and steadfastly defending that choice. We are not asking for shortcuts. We respect a fact-based process, and we are doing the work. But we hope that this work will be recognized and rewarded,” Sandu emphasized.
She added that historically, the European Union has not demanded a perfect state of reforms from candidate countries, but has given them the opportunity to become part of a community that itself stimulates change within states. “The European Union did not wait for perfection, but offered membership—and it was this membership that did the rest. The same must happen today. This principle must apply to Ukraine, the Western Balkans, and Moldova—not as a favor done for us, but as a strategic choice,” she stated.
Separately, Sandu drew attention to contemporary threats to democracies, particularly information attacks, propaganda, and external influence, which, she said, increasingly transcend the boundaries of individual states and become tools for exerting pressure on entire regions.
She emphasized that freedom of speech cannot be used as a cover for manipulation and the coordination of disinformation campaigns. “Freedom of expression is meant for people. It is not freedom for fake accounts or armies of bots. It is not freedom for propaganda campaigns organized on Telegram. And it is also not freedom of expression for Kremlin allies,” said the President of Moldova.
Sandu called on international institutions to create stricter legal mechanisms to counter foreign interference and information operations, emphasizing that existing tools are insufficient to protect democracies.
She also emphasized that countries remaining outside of European integration become more vulnerable to external influence and instability. “Where the European project has taken root, democracy has flourished. Where this has not happened, the shadow has persisted. And between them lie gray zones. And in these gray zones, unfortunately, others decide our fate,” concluded Maia Sandu.
The European Union has moved to the practical stage of preparing Montenegro’s accession treaty. The country continues on its path toward EU integration and has declared its intention to become a member by 2028.
Ukraine hopes that the European Union will open all six negotiation chapters on the country’s accession this year and also anticipates the possibility of closing at least one of them by the end of the year.
Ukraine may temporarily forgo some of the benefits of EU membership to accelerate the accession process. Taras Kachka noted that such a step would help the country integrate into the EU more quickly.
