Kyiv Post published an article by Jude Dempsey headlined "Ukraine’s Crisis Is Good for the EU."
"The continuing crisis in Ukraine is good news for the EU," the article reads. "That may seem paradoxical. The U.S. administration has criticized the EU for not giving more support to Ukraine’s antigovernment protests and for not retaliating against Russia’s bullying tactics in former Soviet countries."
"Yet the tug-of-war between Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and pro-Western demonstrators presents a great opportunity for the EU," the author believes.
According to the author, now is the time for the EU to start selling itself, not just in Ukraine but also in Georgia and Moldova, two other countries of the EU’s Eastern Partnership initiative. The EU can no longer avoid the issue of Eastern enlargement, the author believes."Yet for all the talk of a big offensive in Eastern Europe, the EU still ducks the hard questions: What is the EU’s goal in its Eastern neighborhood? Is EU membership a realistic prospect for the countries in the East? Or is the EU offering a special partnership that confers extensive trade and other rights but falls short of membership?" the author writes."Sooner rather than later, EU governments will have to decide on their long-term relationship with Eastern Europe. It is clear that the Eastern Partnership countries will not embrace big reforms unless they have the perspective of membership. That, unfortunately, is the reality," the author concludes.
