German press about the summit in Riga. Poroshenko received only vague hopes and bitter disappointments
The head of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, in fact the first person in the EU bureaucratic system, on whom the Eastern European partnership between Ukraine and the EU depended, joked and clowned at the summit in Riga, writes the German newspaper BILD. While Petro Poroshenko was tensely awaiting the EU’s response on a visa-free regime with Ukraine, Juncker intensely and graphically hugged women, kissed the Belgian Prime Minister on the forehead when meeting, offered a tie to Alexis Tsipras, and jokingly greeted the head of the Hungarian government: “How are you, dictator? »
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While Petro Poroshenko vaguely hoped for a favorable decision on a visa-free regime for Ukraine and the EU, and waited for at least hints of the country’s possible membership in the European Union, the head of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, joked, explained and had fun.
When meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, he said loudly and with a smile: “Hello, dictator!”
He hugged other visitors tightly, focusing his attention on women, and did not miss the opportunity to kiss them and joke. Angela Merkel, although smiling, pulled away from Juncker’s too intimate embrace. This all happened against the backdrop of a serious summit where the partnership between the EU and 6 countries of Eastern Europe was discussed.
The German newspaper Bild called the behavior of Jean-Claude Juncker the “Junker Show.”
Upon entering the building, Juncker raised his hands in front of the security checkpoint, as if the guards had pulled out a gun. Juncker noticed and laughed at the identical purple ties of the representatives of the Latvian government. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who appeared at the summit, as always, without a tie, he dramatically offered his own.
Juncker kissed the Prime Minister of Belgium on the forehead in public. Laughed at Tusk.
Let us recall that at the summit in Riga on May 22, Ukraine was denied a visa-free regime and directly stated the futility of hopes of joining the EU in the near foreseeable future. This was voiced by both Angela Merkel and the President of the European Parliament, Donald Tusk.
BILD writes: “For many months, Ukraine has sought very close cooperation with the EU, even hoping to become a candidate for EU membership. But Brussels is keeping the country at a greater distance: and now there is no quick accession to the EU, there will be no more help in the war against Russia. And regarding the visa-free regime, only vague promises remained. These are very bitter signals for the people who fought last year on the Maidan in Kyiv for freedom and democracy.”
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