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French President Emmanuel Macron and European Council President Charles Michel attend the European Union summit in Versailles, near Paris, France, March 10, 2022. Photo/Ludovic MARIN/REUTERS
At that time tens of thousands of Ukrainians gathered in the capital to protest the government’s move to withdraw from signing the EU association agreement.
Eight years later, on February 28, 2022, Kiev officially applied for EU membership.
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Ukraine’s bid to join the EU will continue to be hampered by five pervasive issues, according to the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK).
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NRK explained the recent lack of enthusiasm by EU officials to provide “shortcuts” to Ukraine’s membership.
The biggest problem, according to Oslo Metropolitan University researcher and Ukraine specialist Jorn Holm-Hansen, is the widespread corruption plaguing Kiev, with the situation remaining worse in Ukraine than any other EU bloc, according to Transparency International data.
“There is also talk of nepotism, which benefits people he knows. If you violate this practice, you are often seen as unreliable and a kind of ‘traitor’,” explains Holm-Hansen.
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