Two key reservations against EU candidate status are not directly related to Ukraine. However, there are other blocks of arguments that do not sound so loud and unanimous, but are still noticeable in individual capitals, Alena Hetmanchuk, director of the New Europe Center, warns in the article..

The first block is the need to maintain the unity of policy towards Ukraine at the EU level and at the national level in those member countries where the issue of candidacy is more likely to split political elites than unite, the expert notes.

“At the level of the European Union, we are talking about the fact that submitting candidate status for Ukraine in June could destroy the unity of the EU in other critically important issues for Ukraine.. For example, some well-known European politicians recently directly asked their Ukrainian counterparts: “What do you need more - candidate status or an oil embargo '', she writes.

Internal political or even internal party unity is not an argument that is spoken about aloud, but it also sounds, more often in friendly conversations with local politicians who are not all right in the ruling coalition or party anyway, Getmanchuk continues.

" At the same time, they insist that such serious decisions should be well analyzed and debated.. If a false start happens and Ukraine gets “no”, it will only play in the red, because it can put the issue on the back burner. In the meantime, one must also understand that some heads of government of European countries can use the argument of fragile internal party unity as another excuse for Ukraine, so it is necessary to clearly distinguish where such a problem really exists, and where it is being used, because they cannot directly say “no” to Ukraine.

In some capitals - especially in the Netherlands - the warning against the politicization of the expansion process is very noticeable, Hetmanchuk emphasizes..

" So, in France, it was repeatedly emphasized that first there should be a European perspective, and only then - the status of a candidate, ”adds the expert.

And the last set of warnings, which European politicians and diplomats also talk about behind closed doors rather than with visitors from Ukraine, is a series of arguments regarding the war, Hetmanchuk notes..

“The question is, in particular, that the expansion process should not be started with the participation of a country that is in an open armed conflict. Especially with Russia. Say, it is not clear what Putin's reaction to such a step will be.. Unfortunately, elements of the “do not provoke Putin” policy, which in fact should have been buried with the first missile strikes on Ukraine, are still very visible in some European capitals.. Especially against the background of undisguised fear of the use of tactical nuclear weapons on his part, ”the expert writes..

Also, some strategists in high offices appeal to the fact that it is necessary to wait for the end of the war, because it is not clear what will be fixed in the future peace agreement - perhaps Ukraine will generally give up its desire to join the EU, as it was ready to give up potential membership in NATO.

And finally, the question of Moldova and especially Georgia. If there are actually no questions regarding Moldova and the need for it to stay on the same track with Ukraine, then there is serious concern regarding Georgia about its current viability to meet the “Copenhagen criteria”, the expert emphasizes.

Read more about the “confrontation with reality” and proposals on how to overcome it by June in Olena Getmanchuk’s article “EU candidate status: who and why is ready to refuse Ukraine”.