Germany's Baerbock cautious about rapid EU accession for Ukraine

Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock says she has reservations about a swift EU accession for Ukraine.

"EU accession is not something that can be accomplished in a few months," she said after a meeting with her Slovenian counterpart Anze Logar in Berlin. She emphasized that Ukraine's joining of the EU would require an intensive and far-reaching transformation process by the country.

However she went on to say that "Ukraine is part of Europe" and that the EU had always been "a house whose doors were open". The foreign minister added that there were many other European institutions beyond the EU that would work together to ensure peace and security on the European continent.

Logar said a European perspective for Ukraine could give the country's citizens an additional reason to defend the European system of values. He said this system was currently being defended with the blood of Ukrainians.