The European Commission officials admit the possibility that Ukraine might join the EU and NATO in a comparatively short term. That is what Jean-Claude Juncker announced, giving testimony in The Hague. However, the chief of the European Commission noted that the process of joining will take time and could hardly be finished earlier than 2036. “Ukraine will certainly not join the EU in the next 20 to 25 years. Nor will it join NATO,” Jean-Claude Juncker underlined in his speech.
The EU president delivered the speech ahead of April's advisory referendum in the Netherlands on Ukraine's association agreement with the European Union.
Jean-Claude Juncker stressed the importance of this process and reminded the Dutch that the agreement would become the first step to Ukraine joining the European Union.
The initiative to hold the referendum belongs to Eurosceptic activists in the Netherlands. They succeeded in triggering a referendum after securing more than 300,000 signatures, which are required under a new Dutch law. In April, Dutch citizens will vote on ratifying a trade zone agreement with Ukraine. Turnout must exceed 30% for it to be officially valid.
Meanwhile, the referendum as well as its outcome will only be of an advisory character. However, a No vote could cause a continental crisis, the European Commission president warned.
