The EU should fully embrace Ukraine

欧盟应全面拥抱乌克兰

Editor's Picks from The Economist

2026-06-09

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A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. Europe is wary of admitting a poor and institutionally weak country into its club. In reality, leaving a powerful and resentful Ukraine out in the cold is far more dangerous.  Topics covered: Ukraine warEuropean UnionUkrainian accession to the EU Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.
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  • Hello, this is Rosie Bloor, co-host of The Intelligence, our daily news and current affairs podcast.

  • Welcome to Editor's Picks.

  • We've chosen an article from the latest edition of The Economist that we thought you might enjoy.

  • Please do have a listen.

  • Give Europe credit for stepping up when many doubted it could.

  • Since Donald Trump cut American military aid to Ukraine, Europe has managed to fill the breach.

  • It is accelerating the flow of money and arms eastward, while stiffening sanctions on the Russian aggressor.

  • Partly as a result of European help, Russia's grim losses on the battlefield are putting pressure on Vladimir Putin.

  • With American diplomatic efforts to end the war fizzling,

  • some in Europe are asking whether it is time for them to take the but not yet.

  • The more urgent question for Europe concerns its relationship with a country that has transformed

  • itself from a ward of the West into a crucial security partner.

  • Ukraine's battle-hardened army is making progress, and its innovative defence industry is growing.

  • If Europe is to defend its borders and wean itself off a reliance on transatlantic help,

  • it needs Ukraine as badly as the other way round.

  • Europe's priority should be to fully embrace Ukraine, and fast.

  • For Ukraine itself, the goal has long been clear – full EU membership

  • – to cement links with the West and make up for territory lost to Russia.

  • Four years after accepting Ukraine as a candidate for membership, this month the EU is expected

  • to open the first negotiating cluster, covering topics such as democracy and the rule of law.