European Commission: Ukraine-US Investment Fund Does Not Contradict Ukraine’s EU Accession

The agreement between Ukraine and the United States to establish a joint Recovery Investment Fund does not contradict the process of Ukraine's accession to the European Union. It also does not contradict the 2021 Memorandum of Understanding between the European Union and Kyiv on a partnership in the field of critical resources, European Commission spokesperson Paola Piño explained.

The Gaze reports on this with reference to FREEDOM in Europe.

‘We welcome the agreement reached yesterday and the fact that it takes into account Ukraine's accession process to the EU. This is of key importance. And we have certainly discussed this with our Ukrainian colleagues. We understand that it was their concern to make sure that such an agreement does not stand in the way of possible future accession to the EU,’ said Paola Piño, the European Commission's chief spokesperson.

‘Based on our preliminary assessment, it is clear at this time that the Ukraine-US agreement is not exceptional. Therefore, it will not affect our 2021 memorandum of understanding. So, of course, Ukraine is free to continue to engage with the EU in this area. And, of course, we will be happy to continue our cooperation in this area,’ added Lea Zuber, the European Commission's spokesperson for Competition, Internal Market and Industrial Strategy.

As The Gaze reported earlier, Ukraine and the United States have signed an agreement to establish the US-Ukraine Recovery Investment Fund, the so-called subsoil deal. Consultations between the parties lasted two months. The final and signed version appeared only on 1 May, when the Ukrainian government published the text of the subsoil agreement with the US in Ukrainian and English.