The risk of a Russian threat following starting the war once morest Ukraine has pushed not only this country, but also Moldova and Georgia, States with Russian troops and pro-Russian separatist territoriesto sign the applications for become candidates for the European Union (EU).
Ukraine set the precedent and, following it, first Georgia and then Moldova decided to start a process that now requires following the channels enshrined in Article 49 of the EU Treaty: the Council (the countries) will have to evaluate the application and decide whether to request an opinion on the matter from the European Commission, which can take between 15 and 18 months.
Ukraine and the spur of war
“We call on the European Union for the immediate accession of Ukraine under a new special procedure”, said the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, in a video message to the population following signing the document that he sent to Brussels, at a moment described as “historic” by the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament).
Since 2014, following the Russian annexation of Crimea, the separatist republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, in the Donbas region (eastern Ukraine), have been the bone of contention between Ukraine and Russia. The region has been experiencing an armed conflict since April 2014, but last Thursday, February 24, Russia launched the war once morest Ukraine, extending the conflict to the entire country.
In the plenary session of the European Parliament, before the representatives of the institutions, Zelensky asked the EU to show that “it is with the Ukrainian people”and has reiterated and pressed numerous times with the membership as part of its “survival” in the face of the Russian threat in a context in which Ukrainians are struggling “to be as free” as EU citizens.
Moldova and the situation in Transnistria
Moldova is a small and impoverished ex-Soviet republic to which Russia has seized part of its territoryestablishing a de facto independent republic.
Threatened, in the midst of the Russian invasion of the neighboring country, Moldova called this Thursday “to live in peace, democracy and prosperity, being part of the free world”in the words of its president, the pro-European Maia Sandu, who following signing the application for accession praised the “serene and determined” response of her people “at a time when a real danger is knocking at the door”.
The conflict in Transnistria was born following the collapse of the Soviet Unionwhen pro-Russian forces rebelled once morest the newly proclaimed state of Moldova, turning it into a territory where Moscow and the pro-Russian oligarchs who control it do and undo as they please.
Russia is estimated to have permanently deployed around Tiraspol, the “capital” of Transnistria, regarding two thousand soldiers. In addition, the region, as explained to EFE geopolitical analyst Mihai Isac, “is very close to Odessa, the main port of Ukraine and one of the targets of the Russian military offensive.”
“Although at the moment the Russian military in Transnistria have not participated in the invasion of Ukraine, their presence there immobilizes a part of the Ukrainian troops, who remain in the area to avoid a possible attack by these troops on Odessa,” explains Isac.
In addition to being handcuffed by the Russian military presence in part of its territory, Moldova is the poorest country in Europe and must face the humanitarian crisis resulting from the war.
Georgia and the case of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
Georgia made headlines for the 2008 war, in which pro-Russian rebels supported by the Kremlin rebelled once morest the Government of Tiflis to establish, in Georgian territory, two separatist enclaves (South Ossetia and Abkhazia), managed by Moscow.
When condemning Russia’s recognition of Donetsk and Luganks, Georgian President Salomé Zurabishvili warned that “the same script that led to the occupation of 20% of the territory” of Georgia was being repeated, when Moscow recognized Ossetia from South and Abkhazia.
In this context, the country decided to rush to sign the application for accession, which opens an “important stage on Georgia’s path to the European Union,” according to its prime minister, Irakli Garibashvili, following sealing the document.
“For us a future in Europe is the only option. It is our strategic objective”, Garibashvili stressed following signing the document.
Georgia already signed the Association Agreement with the EU in 2014, which includes the free trade agreement, and in 2017 it achieved the liberalization of the visa regime with the European Union and now, threatened by the war in Ukraine, it has decided to formalize its candidacy .
Along with Ukraine, they constitute the two countries that Russia has constantly tried to prevent from joining NATO, citing reasons of its own security. (I)
