Ukraine should first integrate with EU in defense – MEP Juknevičienė

That’s according to MEP Rasa Juknevičienė, who gave an exclusive comment to Ukrinform while the group of legislators presented an informal group calling for the creation of the European Defense Union.

“It's a very good idea to think about a fresh agreement among the member states and those who are not, like Great Britain, Norway, Ukraine, especially, because, as I see now, this process of integration into European Union can be very complicated – because of agriculture and other issues and long negotiations. And we are in the situation where we don't have time to wait. We have to deliver,” she said.

The MEP added that Ukraine is really very important for the whole Europe in terms of defense.

“That's why I think there is better perspective to start with defense, and then integration will happen later in any other issues,”

Asked whether the idea of the European Defense Union finds a proper feedback from the European Commission and national governments, the lawmaker said: “As written in the Bible, in the very beginning, it was a word. So, first of all, we have to deliver the idea”.

She admitted that the process will not be an easy one, noting that even in the European Parliament there has not yet been a debate about a clear picture of how this European Defense Union should be shaped.

“So now this group of MEPs was launched precisely to launch this very concrete debate,” the lawmaker said.

As Ukrinform reported, several dozen Members of the European Parliament from four political groups – EPP, S&D, Renew, and the Greens – announced the creation of a network calling for the establishment of an autonomous European Defense Union, including Ukraine.