The European Union Shouldn’t Rush to Admit Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met with leaders of the European Union last week, and pressed his case not just for more arms but also for rapid admission to the EU. Maintaining supplies of arms and equipment is urgent and vital — but accelerating talks over EU membership is neither. In truth, it’s a dangerous distraction.

Ukraine is fighting heroically to defeat Vladimir Putin’s aggression, and Europe understands that rendering help is a moral and geopolitical imperative. The bloc’s military support so far has been effective, though hardly unstinting or delivered as promptly as it should have been. Ukraine needs more generous economic aid as well, to mitigate the vast material damage that Russia has inflicted. Europe’s governments acknowledge that maintaining and expanding their support serves their own security interests.