Reflections on Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: One Year On

In this paper, Pat Cox, former President of the European Parliament, reflects on the implications of Russia war of aggression in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin’s war of choice has brought conflict back to the European continent, and amongst the enormous challenges of achieving a cessation of hostilities, will be the task of establishing a sustainable and just peace. In this regard, Pat Cox contends, the EU and Ukrainian interests are aligned. Post war, an isolated and impoverished Ukraine caught in a frozen conflict would be a constant source of instability. This is not in the interests of Ukraine and assuredly is not in the interests of the EU and its frontline eastern Member States. This paper argues that Ukraine’s aspiration to join the European Union is a matter of strategic EU significance and should be treated as such. Ukrainian accession will not be without its challenges, Ukraine is large, it is largely agricultural, and its relatively poor compared with EU members. With this in mind, Pat Cox argues that the European Union will have to balance between Ukraine’s desire for accession quickly with the EU’s imperative to get Ukrainian accession right.