Ukraine Braces for Major Russian Offensive
Wall Street JournalDec 23, 2022
The Facts
A delegation of 15 EU officials — including Commission Pres. Ursula von der Leyen and the bloc's top foreign policy chief Josep Borrell — arrived in Kyiv for two days of talks on Thursday. Discussions are set to focus on military aid, reconstruction efforts, and Ukraine's EU accession aspirations.
So far, Borrell has announced that the EU plans to double the number of Ukrainian troops that will be trained by the bloc, taking the figure to 30K. A €25M ($27.5M) demining initiative has also been announced.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Ukrainians have fought not only for their own country but also for all of Europe, reminding the alliance why it was founded in the first place. It's only right that the EU opens its doors to Ukraine.
Establishment-critical narrative
If Ukraine were to join the EU, it would only further complicate the country's relations Russia and draw the world even nearer to a global conflict. The West should resist being so blindly positive about Kyiv's potential bloc candidacy.