European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said EU is opening the door for Canada to become the first associate member of the 27-member bloc.
Trump threatened to impose tariffs on the European Union or halt trade with the bloc entirely if it proceeds with the plan.
The proposal signals a significant shift in the EU, which had been lukewarm to Germany’s proposal in May of an associate membership for Ukraine.
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Would it though? I have doubts.
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Allowed. How benevolent of Russia.
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I think people know.
NATO? Or the EU?
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And NATO.
Russia using potential NATO membership as an excuse to invade Ukraine is just that, an excuse. Ukraine was turning west, and Russia couldn’t accept that.
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Ukraine had the Budapest Memorandum and a strong military. Didn’t help much, especially when one of the guarantees refused to help and the other being the perpetrator.
What triggered the war IMHO was when Russias puppet Yanukovych was removed from power. It was then clear that Ukraine wanted to move west, and Russia wouldn’t have any of that.
This is kremlin propaganda. Ukrainians didn’t want to join NATO until Russia poked its nose. Maidan of 2013 was about getting closer to EU, not NATO. Btw, that’s why it’s called Euromaidan, not Natomaidan. At that moment only 33% Ukrainians wanted to join NATO. NATO became relevant after Russia annexed Crimea in the Spring of 2014, only after that, in November 2014 over 50% wanted to join NATO. Which is kinda “what did you expected moment” when one of your supposed security guarantor waving finger at another supposed guarantor in response of sovereignty and territorial integrity violation.
NATO was the overt reason, EU was implied. NATO would offer security, but EU also does and economic prosperity on top of that.
The real reason is an imperialistic attitude that clings to the notion that Ukraine shouldn’t be an independent state.