Ukrainians and the EU: Integration, Divisions and Scepticism

With the full-scale invasion, relations with the EU have suddenly
become very concrete for Ukrainian citizens. Many have been
displaced, living in various EU countries under temporary
protection status – some want to stay there. And while EU countries
were seen as important in providing military aid, key member states
such as Germany were heavily criticised for their perceived slow
delivery. This episode is about Ukrainians - in Ukraine and abroad
- their experiences of war and European integration, and what these
might mean for the future of Ukrainian and European politics.
Marina Rabinovych talks to Valeria Lazarenko, who has studied
governance regimes for Ukrainian refugees in Germany, Sweden,
Poland and the Czech Republic, and Kostiantyn Fedorenko, who has
researched the risks of Euroscepticism in Ukraine - an issue of
growing relevance as the war enters its fourth year and the stakes
rise for potential negotiations and Europe's role in them.
President Zelenskiy signed Ukraine's official application for EU
membership on 28 February 2022, four days after Russia's full-scale
invasion began. Although the application was approved and Ukraine
gained EU candidate status with unprecedented speed, the road
remains challenging and does not promise to get any easier as the
war continues and around 20% of Ukraine's territory is occupied by
Russia.