Stubb calls for expansion of EU to 40 countries, including Ukraine
President of Finland Alexander Stubb has advocated for a large-scale expansion of the European Union to 40 states, stating that after the accession of the current candidate countries, in particular Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, the bloc should consider the possibility of further expansion and deepening integration with the United Kingdom, Turkey, Norway, Iceland, and even Canada, CNBC reports.
Speaking at an energy conference in Helsinki, Stubb noted that the EU must "think big" and take advantage of the current "window of opportunity" for expansion, which, according to him, may be limited in time due to global political changes and the conclusion of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The "window of opportunity" for EU expansion "is quite short, because when the war in Ukraine ends and maybe when the US administration changes, I don’t know, then people will take their foot off the gas pedal and start bickering about unnecessary things again," Stubb noted.
He emphasized that the EU’s strategic strength depends on scale, and also proposed more flexible formats of participation.
"At this moment, we need to think big, and geographically we need to expand or at least create formats of membership that are flexible enough to eventually include 40 European states – or even non-European ones," the President of Finland emphasizes.
Stubb added that the expansion agenda should include Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, while also taking into account potential decisions regarding Iceland and Norway.
Stubb also called for attention to the prospects of bringing the United Kingdom, which left the bloc in 2020, closer to the EU, or at least ensuring its "closest possible" connection with the Union.
Separately, he mentioned Canada, stating: "Wouldn’t it be great if Canada were the 28th state of the European Union, rather than the 51st state of the United States?"
According to him, the EU should work more actively with Turkey and the countries of the Western Balkans, which he called "the hottest spot in Europe." Among them, he listed Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.