If Ukraine joins the EU, Article 42.7 of the Treaty on European Union will automatically apply to it, obligating member states to assist any member that becomes a victim of armed aggression.
This was stated on Monday in Brussels before the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting by German Minister of State for Europe at the Federal Foreign Office, Günter Krichbaum.
“I will also say: if Ukraine joins the EU, Article 42.7 applies. This means there is a mutual assistance provision there as well. And, of course, it focuses attention on security issues,” the German minister commented regarding what security guarantees Europeans can provide to Ukraine.
According to Krichbaum, Ukraine currently needs “not some abstract form of peace, but real security.”
He added: “This is a huge, colossal difference. That’s exactly what we are talking about now. It means: without security, peace is impossible. Ultimately, both elements must be combined.”
He also highlighted the importance of the ongoing negotiations between Ukrainian and U.S. delegations in Berlin.
“Certainly, this is also a remarkable success of our Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, that this format was gathered in Berlin, so that Europeans no longer bypass Ukraine, so that through Ukraine they no longer bypass, that we are an active part of the negotiations here, and that the Americans also came to Berlin yesterday,” Krichbaum said.
He emphasized that this topic will be central to the ministers’ meeting in Brussels, “because it is necessary to maintain high pressure on Russia through sanctions.” In this context, the German minister also noted the expectation of expanding the list of sanctioned vessels of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet.
