Portugal is actively pushing for Ukraine‘s membership in the European Union, with Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel calling for immediate preparations during the Ambrosetti Forum in Italy on September 7th. The forum, which is attended by influential world leaders, included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this year. This comes at a time when tensions between Ukraine and Russia are high, with ongoing military conflicts and air attacks on Ukrainian cities.
In an interview at the forum, Rangel stated, “We are very engaged in the enlargement process. We need to prepare to receive Ukraine in the EU when that’s possible.” He emphasized the need for financial and institutional reforms to accommodate Ukraine’s membership. Currently, there are nine recognized EU membership candidates, including Ukraine, and negotiations are active with six of them.
Rangel also commented on the recent developments, acknowledging that Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region has shifted the balance of the war. He called for negotiations towards a peace process, with the EU’s stance being that any talks should be led by the Ukrainian government. At the same event, Zelenskyy and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni agreed to work towards organizing a conference next year focused on Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.
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