Europe’s development is usually agonisingly slow. But this year is different. On 24 February 2022, Vladimir Putin’s Russia invades Ukraine and starts a beastly war against the alleged “brother nation”. Four days later, Ukraine applies to join the European Union. And only 120 days later, the European Council actually decides: Ukraine and Moldova are candidates to join the EU! Who would have ever thought that the ever-maligned EU would one day become a lifeboat for European neighbours in need. Some may see this as a burden – in reality it is evidence of the high attractiveness of this Union.
We from We are Europe showed early in March on what we thought was right. Together with our friends from Pulse of Europe Düsseldorf, we now invited people to the “Duesseldorf March of Sympathy for the EU Accession of Ukraine” on 19 June 2022. 150 Ukrainians accepted our invitation and symbolically walked across the Oberkassel Bridge towards the west, where we received and welcomed them. “We” – that was also Düsseldorf’s Lord Mayor Dr Stephan Keller and the Ukrainian Consul General Iryna Shum.
We will closely follow the admission procedure for the two countries and will not forget Georgia, which has also applied for admission.