In 2001, then-UK Prime Minister Tony Blair was urged to support Ukraine's push for joining the EU in order to build up a barrier against alleged Russian threats, a British broadcaster has cited documents from the National Archives as revealing.
According to the newly released records, Blair’s special adviser on European affairs, Roger Liddle, told him at the time that Kiev wanted a "special relationship [...] if only we would show more interest."
Liddle ostensibly said that immediate EU or NATO membership was unlikely as he called on Blair to become more engaged in the process.
"Strengthening Ukraine's shaky democracy and economy increases stability on the EU's future eastern borders and acts as a formidable barrier to any resurgence of Russian imperialism to the West," Blair’s adviser reportedly claimed. He stressed that the main Ukrainian pitch had been for "associate membership" of the EU.
Also in 2001, Liddle argued after the London-Kiev talks that the Ukrainians were "depressed... that most of Europe and the new US administration is running them down."
Then-Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma also wrote to Blair at the time, trying to appeal for his support, according to the records.
Kuchma purportedly urged Blair to back Ukraine's long-term goal of "full-scale European and Euro-Atlantic integration, including the full-fledged EU membership". He allegedly added in a handwritten note that he pinned high hopes on Blair, as a "sincere friend" of Ukraine, and on his “personal support in this exceptionally important issue".
In July 2022, EU Ambassador to Ukraine Matti Maasikas warned that "There cannot be shortcuts or fast tracks to the [EU] membership itself.”
“The EU covers so many areas, and at the very heart of the EU is the single market. And the single market cannot function if, in one part of it, not all rules, regulations, standards are being followed. So, a very thorough work needs to be done by the Ukrainians," Maasikas told reporters.
He spoke after the EU approved granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for joining the bloc on June 23, 2022, in what became the first step in a lengthy process of accession. Turkey has been a candidate since 1999, North Macedonia - since 2005, Montenegro - since 2010, and Serbia - since 2012. Croatia was the latest country to join the EU in 2013 after a ten-year accession process.
Ukraine has been knocking on the doors of the EU and NATO for decades, in the face of apparent territorial problems, persistent corruption and degrading regime, something that may make the so-called problematic newcomers of the EU look like Singapore or Switzerland.