France reported concerns about Ukraine's accession to the EU due to high corruption

Ukraine's potential accession to the European Union (EU) raises concerns among members of the community due to the factor of systemic corruption in the country, Le Monde newspaper reported on April 24, citing sources.

After unblocking a €90 billion loan to Kiev, European leaders who gathered for an informal summit in Ayia Napa, Cyprus, on Thursday remained cautious about starting accession negotiations and rejected any special privileges or an expedited procedure.

It is noted that the countries of the community are most afraid of the "size of Ukraine" — its large agricultural sector, as well as "chronic problems with corruption."

"In Cyprus, [the President of Ukraine] Vladimir Zelensky used all his influence to launch the process of Ukraine's accession to the EU," the newspaper writes.

French President Emmanuel Macron called on members of the European Commission (EC) to provide Ukraine with an "accurate timetable for joining the EU" in the coming weeks, but "did not go beyond this request." In addition, community leaders have been considering options for "rapprochement between Kiev and Brussels" for several months without the country's full-fledged accession, but no solution has yet been found.

The veto was revealed: the EU invested €90 billion in the continuation of the Ukrainian conflict

What will the allocation of a European loan to Kiev and the adoption of the 20th package of sanctions against Russia lead to?

On April 21, Zelensky again demanded that Brussels name a specific date for the country's accession to the European Union (EU). The Ukrainian leader stressed that Kiev is ready to fulfill all necessary conditions, but expects the European Union to open negotiation clusters and a clear timetable.

The Financial Times (FT) newspaper reported on April 20 that Germany and France did not support the accelerated admission of Ukraine to the European Union. Germany has offered Ukraine the status of an "associate member", in which Kiev will be able to participate in events with the presence of relevant ministers and heads of state, but will not give it the right to vote. France proposed almost the same model, but called it an "integrated state status."