{"text":[[{"start":10.32,"text":"Ukraine is falling behind Moldova on its path to EU membership because of its sputtering efforts to root out corruption, the European Commission has said."}],[{"start":18.48,"text":"The two eastern neighbours applied to join the bloc in 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and have advanced in tandem ever since."}],[{"start":28.24,"text":"But in its annual enlargement reports published on Wednesday, Brussels said Chisinau was on track to close membership talks by early 2028 while Kyiv would need another year and an “acceleration of the pace of reforms” to complete the process."}],[{"start":42.463,"text":"The Commission also said Montenegro could sign its accession treaty mid-next year. If approved by EU governments and the European parliament, it would be the first new member since Croatia’s 2013 accession."}],[{"start":57.09,"text":"While praising Ukraine’s efforts “in the face of most difficult circumstances brought by Russia’s war of aggression”, the Commission said Kyiv still needed to “demonstrate significant progress” in tackling corruption."}],[{"start":66.767,"text":"Ukraine’s key anti-corruption agencies have kept operating during the war and exposed several corruption schemes that forced President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sack several ministers and senior officials last year."}],[{"start":80.24,"text":"Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (Nabu) said on Wednesday it had completed its pre-trial investigation in a case of corruption in the energy sector that triggered a major political crisis last year and ultimately forced out Zelenskyy’s influential chief of staff Andriy Yermak."}],[{"start":97.52,"text":"Brussels has set up a “dedicated task force” to help Ukraine “urgently and significantly step up the pace of the rule of law reforms”. It also noted a recent acceleration of the “reform momentum” as Ukraine’s parliament passed a series of bills demanded by the EU to unlock crucial financial support."}],[{"start":113.6,"text":"EU ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernová told reporters on Tuesday the decoupling from Moldova was not meant to play down the progress Kyiv had made so far. “I think the fact that Ukraine keeps up the pace [of reforms] in the fifth year of the war and in the middle of this incredible escalation since late summer is actually remarkable in itself,” she said."}],[{"start":135.68,"text":"Zelenskyy last month warned that decoupling the two countries would be “morally wrong”, adding that Ukraine was preventing Russia from “caus[ing] trouble” in Moldova’s breakaway region of Transnistria."}],[{"start":144.32,"text":"Ukraine financing for coming years is also under threat. Kyiv faces a €70bn financing gap in 2027, of which the European Commission vowed to cover two-thirds, or roughly €45bn, and is working on options to do so, including issuing joint debt."}],[{"start":161.202,"text":"Germany and other countries want to make continued support for Ukraine part of the deal on EU’s next common budget from 2028. Berlin also wants future funding for Kyiv to be decided by a majority of EU countries, instead of the consensus currently required."}],[{"start":178,"text":"Four countries — Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria — have said they will not contribute to future Ukraine funding."}],[{"start":183.873,"text":"Marine Le Pen has said that if she is elected France’s president, she will stop her country’s financial and military contributions to Ukraine’s defence."}],[{"start":192.56,"text":"The Commission said Moldova’s goal of closing accession talks by early 2028 was “ambitious but achievable”. It said Chisinau could close 25 negotiating chapters in 2027, while Kyiv is expected to conclude talks in just seven chapters next year. EU accession talks are divided into 35 chapters, grouped by subject, under which candidate countries must align their laws with EU legislation."}],[{"start":217.36,"text":"Moldova’s pro-EU president, Maia Sandu, wrote on X she was “pleased” by the Commission’s report, which “reflects Moldova’s steady progress”. She called on “member states to match our commitment”."}],[{"start":228.778,"text":"Montenegro could “realistically” close accession talks by the end of this year, the Commission said. “At the current pace, we will be ready to sign the accession treaty as soon as June 2027,” EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos told reporters."}],[{"start":244.4,"text":"Montenegro Prime Minister Milojko Spajić pledged to “continue to build [on the reforms] until full membership.”"}],[{"start":254.48,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1793854745_4572.mp3"}