Poland is not against Ukraine joining the EU - Lithuanian advisor

VILNIUS - Poland is not opposed to Ukraine joining the European Union, Asta Skaisgiryte, senior advisor to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on foreign policy issues, says.

She made this statement after Polish President Karol Nawrocki said on Sunday that Ukraine's future lies in the West, but refrained to comment on the possible date of accession to the EU.

The presidents of Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine commemorated the anniversary of the 1863-1864 uprising in Vilnius on Sunday.

"This would probably be a matter of interpretation, how to interpret one statement or another," Skaisgiryte told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Tuesday. "I don't know if there really are any major differences of opinion here regarding membership. There was certainly no sense of opposition or reluctance in the conversation, definitely not."

Lithuania maintains the position that Ukraine should be granted full EU membership in 2030. Meanwhile, Kyiv itself says that this could be achieved as early as 2027.

"Speaking of the possible dates for Ukraine's accession to the European Union, it was Lithuania, specifically President Gitanas Nauseda who proposed the date of 2030 a year ago during his visit to Kyiv, primarily so that reforms and negotiations could be mobilized," Skaisgiryte said.

"When you have a target date, it is always better to plan your work. This gave rise to the so-called 20-point plan, which was developed by the United States and Ukraine. There we saw the date 2027 written down. Well, of course, it is possible to have such a date. But all dates are hypothetical until the negotiations are complete," she said, adding that negotiations and reforms are essential steps towards membership.

"It could be some other date when the negotiations end. However, it would be great if Ukraine could join the European Union as soon as possible, as we see a very significant strategic interest in this," Skaisgiryte pointed out.

As reported by BNS, Ukraine expressed its desire to join the EU shortly after Russia launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. However, membership negotiations are currently stalled because Hungary is vetoing the process.

Budapest says that Ukraine's EU membership would pose security risks and that accepting a country at war would draw Hungary into conflict with Russia.