Deputy Parubia threatened that the EU would “lose the trust” of Ukrainians if the country is not given visa-free travel

If visa liberalization and ratification of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement continue to be delayed, Ukrainians may lose confidence in the European Union.

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This was stated by the first vice-speaker of the Verkhovna Rada and the representative of Ukraine in the humanitarian subgroup of the trilateral contact group Irina Gerashchenko on a Facebook page.

She recalled that in 2013, European leaders “persuaded” ex-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych to sign the Association Agreement with the EU.

“Three years ago, the EU, realizing for itself all the risks of Ukraine completely leaving under the Russian protectorate, persuaded Yanukovych to sign the agreement. Despite the presence of political prisoners, despite the complete lack of reforms and “Brezhnev’s” stagnation, despite mega-corruption, despite the complete infringement of the media and the opposition. They were ready to sign an agreement in Vilnius and danced around the traitor and the scum. Then the EU was afraid of one thing: the expansion of the presence of the Russian Federation in the post-Soviet space, the loss of Ukraine,” Gerashchenko wrote.

At the same time, according to her, the European Union is now “slowing down” granting Ukraine a visa-free regime and full ratification of the Association Agreement, which could lead to a loss of Ukrainians’ trust in the EU.

“Are Brussels, Paris, Berlin and other capitals aware of all the risks of Ukrainians losing trust in the EU? I never tire of repeating these questions to all my European counterparts. They don’t like these questions,” the politician said.

She also called the non-signing of the NATO Membership Action Plan with Ukraine and Georgia a “historical mistake” in 2008, which, according to her, “freed the hands of the Russian Federation” and led to “aggression” in these countries.

“Today, not only visa-free travel, but also whether Ukrainians will trust the EU depends on France and Germany and their position. And large European countries, I am sure, do not have the right to make a historical mistake,” said the vice-speaker of the Verkhovna Rada.