Has the EU enlargement process stopped?

This has met with great support from Estonia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.

The Western Balkans have remained silent for Ukraine's membership.

Albania, Serbia, Kosovo, Northern Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro are the six Western Balkan countries that are following their dream of becoming an EU member.

Serbia and Montenegro have entered negotiations, while Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina are only potential candidates.

Albania and Northern Macedonia have been waiting for years to participate.

Albania has remained blocked the cause of corruption and high population migration, while northern Macedonia has remained the cause of problems with Bulgaria, name and identity.

European Union enlargement still remains on the table at the European Commission.

However, many believe that this process has not had any progress in recent years, so it has stalled.

There is still no clear position of Western Balkan countries regarding Ukraine's EU membership.

An EU diplomat has stated that this process is going nowhere, “has died”.

He said it is now difficult not to support Ukraine at this time, but at the same time it is just as difficult to opt for a fast procedure for Kiev, given that the Western Balkans have been in line for years.

Only Montenegro has spoken about this fact.

This country's Foreign Ministry said it wholeheartedly supports the expansion of the European family.

““Montenegro, as an EU candidate country, wholeheartedly supports the EU enlargement process. We stress that the EU membership decision depends only on the decision of member states”.

Gjergji Vourmo, director of the programme at the Albanian Institute for Democracy and Mediation, agrees there is a public silence on the issue.

However, he thought Russia's aggression had in fact raised hopes for Balkan countries to join the EU.

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He said the EU accession process has lacked credibility for several years and that courage is needed by European Union leaders to strengthen the EU and the Western Balkans.

The war in Ukraine poses a major threat and has brought to light much of what was happening in the Western Balkans region and what independent civil society and media have denounced for years... It takes courage to admit past mistakes and courage. so as not to evade responsibility”.

And Ukraine's membership is seen as an advantage by someone.

Oxford University researcher Kristijan Fidanovski has said Ukraine's membership should not pose a threat to northern Macedonia.

In view of Ukraine's low membership prospects, it is difficult to imagine that it could jeopardise North Macedonia's accession. Considering that in the past the EU has enjoyed accepting several countries at the same time for logistical and political reasons, Ukraine's application can only be useful, even if there is no possibility of any consequences in one way or another”.

He also noted that Northern Macedonia Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani welcomed the possibility of Ukraine's EU membership.

Osman is the first to say that openly.

On Monday in Brussels, Osmani said Ukraine and Moldova both have European prospects, but that this process cannot be accelerated.

To promise a country that there is a European future is very important to create an incentive. This pledge was given to us in Thessaloniki in 2003 and was this pledge that prompted us to further develop our country and meet EU criteria”.

This EU commitment to Ukraine will have the same effect”.