Originally Posted by
Hanna Well, they could try to join the EU too, I guess - but it would take a long time until that happened, the EU would put masses of requirements of things that the Ukraine needed to to change... Plus, right now the EU has lots of problems of its own deal with.
But the question is what would really be in it for Ukraine. Looking at Romania, they have not recieved a fraction of the money that was spent by the EU in Southern Europe or the Baltic states. I spoke to some Romanians and they actually felt a bit cheated and second class Europeans. Very sad. I think Ukraine is already arguably in a better shape than Romania. Roads and railroads were better, shopping equivalent. I wouldn't know about schools and hospitals. Plus despite everything that the EU has done / is trying to do in the Baltic states, places like Latvia still has terrible problems and the simply being a low cost location within the EU. Not to mention what is going on in Greece and Spain.
I think Ukraine might get a faster deal with Russia & co, with less strings attached.
And the EU will (hopefully!) still be there in 10 years, if the Ukrainians are still interested, plus they'd be negotiating from a better starting point.
What are they waiting for! I'd want to join the customs union with the other CIS countries if I was Ukrainian.