Disappointed Associates: The 19th EU-Ukraine Summit

Ukraine has proved that it cannot be defeated by external enemies, but it can be defeated by itself, European Council President Donald Tusk said at the beginning of the 19th annual EU-Ukraine summit.

The annual summit took place on July 12-13, 2017 in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko met with Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of European Commission.

The summit focused the conflict in eastern Ukraine and Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, the reform process, the battle against corruption, and the broader regional and international situation.

Poroshenko was very positive about the meeting, announcing plans to advance reforms in the next few years and deepen Ukraine's integration with the European Union.

The summit marks a new stage of EU-Ukraine relations, as Ukraine gained visa-free access to the Schengen Area last month.

Controversially, Juncker said that rather than an Anti-Corruption Court, a special chamber dealing exclusively with anti-corruption issues might be formed. This has created room for speculation about whether the EU had given up on the Anti-Corruption Court — a key condition for further co-operation with the IMF.

The summit also demonstrated that Ukraine needs more serious action on reforms to further its EU aspirations.