Scholz's party believes that without changes in EU, Ukraine will not join union until 2029

Katarina Barley, the main candidate of the Social Democratic Party of Germany in the European Parliament elections, said that she does not expect Ukraine to join the EU during the next election period of the European Parliament, which is to last until 2029.

Source: European Pravda with reference to Spiegel

Details: "If we don't change anything in the European Union, I don't see that happening," Barley said.

However, she added that it makes no sense to name specific dates now.

"We must think not only about Ukraine, but also about the European Union, which must also be able to accept this country," Barley stressed.

She emphasised that Ukraine is a very big country. Barley noted that just the agricultural sector of Ukraine is so large that, based on the current rules, it alone and one other EU country will be able to receive EU agricultural subsidies.

"We have to change if we want to accept countries like Ukraine," Barley said.

Previously, Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, stated that Ukraine will not fully meet all seven EU criteria by October. However, accession negotiations will still begin. 

The Deputy Prime Minister also expressed her confidence that Ukraine will actually be ready for EU membership in the next two years, and even earlier to join NATO.

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