Ukraine 'corrupt at all levels' according to ex-EU Commission chief Juncker

By Timo Kirez

GENEVA (AA) - Former EU Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker warned Thursday against Ukraine's hasty entry into the European Union in connection with corruption in that country.

"Anyone who has had anything to do with Ukraine knows that this is a country that is corrupt at all levels of society," Juncker told the German daily Augsburger Allgemeine.

"Despite the efforts, it is not ready for accession, it needs massive internal reform processes," said Juncker. He said the EU has had bad experiences with some "so-called new members" in terms of the rule of law. That must not be repeated, he said.

Such an approach would also not be fair to the Ukraine, he said. "One must not make false promises to the people of Ukraine, who are up to their necks in suffering," he said.

Nevertheless, a "European perspective" must be maintained for Moldova and Ukraine, "which so virtuously resists and defends European values," said Juncker.

It must be possible for those countries "to participate in parts of European integration," he said. "We should work to make something like partial accession possible, an intelligent form of almost-enlargement.”

But EU Council President Charles Michel favors Ukraine joining the bloc by 2030, under certain conditions.

"Ukraine can be part of the EU in 2030 if both sides do their homework," he told German news magazine Spiegel on Thursday and demanded that the EU speed up decision-making processes, among other things.