The future of the EU depends on the fate of Ukraine in the coming months - Estonia

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Mihal said that support for Ukraine in the coming months will determine the future of the European Union and urged his colleagues to do more to protect Kyiv and themselves.

According to Bloomberg, the prime minister said that allowing Russia to change Ukraine's borders by force would undermine European values. Krysten Michal called on EU partners to increase defense spending to respond to the threat from the Kremlin and demonstrate to Donald Trump that Europe takes security seriously.

"The European system, based on values and rules, will also be resolved to some extent in this conflict. It will probably also be an imprint that will affect Europe," Michal said at the Estonian Embassy in Budapest.

Michal is currently in the Hungarian capital for meetings that will begin on Thursday, where European leaders will discuss the US election results and try to formulate their initial reactions to the prospect of a second term for Trump. The most pressing issue for them will be the future of Ukraine.

Earlier, the European Commission published a report on Ukraine's progress as a candidate country for EU membership in 2024. This report examines the compliance of Ukrainian standards with the EU criteria, and public procurement is highlighted in a separate section. The European Commission has recorded limited progress in public procurement. It also noted positive changes related to the development of a new draft law, a reform strategy, and a reduction in the number of legal provisions that continue to operate in wartime. The implementation of the EC's recommendations for the previous year remains partial, while new requirements have been added.

The European Union has also allocated €25 million for new projects in three regions of Ukraine. The projects will focus on the modernization and repair of facilities in the areas of district heating, water supply, and sewage. The regions affected by the direct and indirect consequences of the hostilities include Chernihiv, Sumy, and Mykolaiv. The initiative is currently at the procurement stage.