Road to Ukraine's integration into the EU: the European cultural policy

One of the immediate consequences of Russia's war against Ukraine has been the clear recognition that Ukraine "is part of the European family." The start of this conflict can be traced back, however, to March 2014. Shortly after the Euromaidan protests, the EU signed the Association Agreement with Ukraine in 2014, which has served to frame the neighborhood policy with this country and enable its reforms. Following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has ushered in the awakening of a more assertive geopolitical EU in a more unstable world. As a result, the EU has relaunched the accession negotiations with the Eastern Balkan countries and has admitted Ukraine and Moldova as candidates. In this context, the European Political Community was born, which could serve as a prelude to the accession of these countries to the EU. However, with no end to the war on the horizon, Ukraine could advance on the path towards it full EU integration by negotiating the chapter dedicated to culture, understanding culture in a broad sense, and benefiting from the EU programs and initiatives like any other Member State through differentiated integration.