Former EC chief rules out Ukraine's imminent EU accession

Former European Commission (EC) chief Jean-Claude Juncker has said that Ukraine will not be admitted to the European Union (EU) any time soon.

He was annoyed by the fact that many politicians were careless in promising the Ukrainian side to join the EU soon. Juncker said that he did not see such a development, Report informs, citing the Vienna-based newspaper Kurier.

According to him, Ukraine will be able to join the EU only after the conflict is over and all necessary reforms are implemented. He said that in the long term, Ukraine will join the EU.

Juncker added that Europe should maintain ties with Russia and China and signal a willingness to negotiate.

"However, the fact is that Russian President Vladimir Putin has demonstrated an unwillingness to hold real peace talks," he stressed.