KYIV: A veteran of Ukraine’s 2014 revolution who is now fighting against Russian forces, Yehor Sobolev knows the real price of Kyiv’s decade-long ambition to join the European Union.
Having supported tough reforms as a parliamentarian after the pro-democracy uprising 10 years ago, he is eagerly waiting for the moment as formal accession talks open on Tuesday.
“We Ukrainians know how to fulfil our dreams,” said the 47-year-old deputy commander of a special army unit in Ukraine.
The start of talks, though ceremonial, is an important development for Ukraine in its pursuit of EU membership.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday said that Ukraine is returning to Europe, where it has belonged for centuries and as a full-fledged member of the European community. Kyiv sought to join the EU days after Russia’s full-scale war in February 2022.
Ukraine now faces a lengthy path to accession to the EU and needs to overhaul its bureaucracy. The task has been complicated by the war with Russia as Ukrainian towns and cities are under constant threat of Russian air strikes that have killed many civilians as well as soldiers.
Sobolev’s story shows a complete picture of Ukraine’s trajectory over the past decade. He was a prominent figure in the revolution that toppled a Russia-backed leader.
He later worked on legislation that laid the foundation of Ukraine’s anti-corruption infrastructure to secure financial assistance and backing for Kyiv’s integration with the EU.
He also co-authored a law to erase traces of Ukraine’s Soviet legacy and influence of Russia by paving the way for the renaming of thousands of cities, towns, and streets and the removal of Soviet monuments.
“The top corrupt officials that we dealt with on the Maidan Revolution are the same kinds of leaders of the Russian world,” he said.
Accession talks
The accession talks will begin with a ministerial meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday, days before Hungary, takes over the six-month rotating presidency of the EU.
Ukraine cleared initial obstacles to accession in December by showing progress in fighting corruption and overhauling its judiciary, among other areas the EU considers fundamental.
Now the country must chalk out a more detailed plan to achieve lasting results that will be measured by the EU.
Sobolev, a war veteran knows the road to EU membership will not be easy for Ukraine, citing old mentalities that are still rooted in some parts of government.
