Oleksandr Vasiuk, Member of Parliament of Ukraine, gave an interview to the well-known German newspaper Tagesspiegel. He spoke about the progress of justice reforms, Ukraine’s accession to the EU and NATO.
“The EU has given us a list of seven key recommendations. They must be fulfilled in order to start accession negotiations. 2 of the 7 recommendations are in the field of justice, which are closely related to my work in the Legal Policy Committee. I hope that the EU membership negotiations will start this year,” told Oleksandr Vasiuk for Tagesspiegel.
He also noted that the process of selecting judges in Ukraine should be transparent. This is one of the important aspects of the justice reform:
“We have set up an independent commission of experts to oversee the appointment of judges. This process should not be political. We are now working to ensure that this reform also touches the lowest level of courts. All these are proposals of the Venice Commission, which advises us on these issues.”
In the interview, Oleksandr Vasiuk also said that the assistance of partner countries in the fight against Russian aggression is extremely important for Ukraine.
“The World Bank estimates the total damage caused by russia’s invasion of Ukraine at more than 380 billion euros. We appreciate the military assistance of the West. The Patriot, IRIS-T, and Gepard self-propelled air defence systems that Germany has provided to Ukraine are saving lives every day,” said Oleksandr Vasiuk.
He added that the US support remains unchanged.
“We have bicameral and bipartisan support. We equally appreciate the support of Republicans and Democrats. The United States is our strategic partner and they help us a lot. Americans are interested in a strong and stable Ukraine. This is not only our fight, but also the fight for democracy and the free world. We share the same values,” told Oleksandr Vasiuk for Tagesspiegel.