The EU's enlargement chief has issued a stark warning that the bloc's credibility and security are at stake as foreign powers seek to disrupt the process of new members joining.

The European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, is expecting great progress in the European Union's enlargement during the next years, but warned of external forces seeking to disrupt the process.

'For the first time in the history, we are somehow confronted with the external disruptive forces who would like to see the enlargement process failing,' she told the European Newsroom (enr) in an interview published on Wednesday. Without further specifying which external forces she was referring to, Kos added 'they are not coming just from the East'.

When asked directly about the influence of third countries and the role of Moscow or Washington, Kos pointed out that the European Commission is monitoring agreements such as the one on minerals and rare earths being negotiated by the United States and Ukraine, which, she warned, could have implications for the accession process.

When asked if she was aware of the alleged offer by the new US administration to Albania to abandon EU negotiations in exchange for investment, Kos said she had no knowledge of it.

The Slovenian Commissioner emphasised that only the EU has the capacity to incorporate more countries, so the bloc has a 'huge responsibility' in a process that also puts its 'credibility' at stake. 'That's why really we have to deliver. And that's why we cannot lose any of the candidate countries,' she emphasised.


Focus on security

Kos pointed out that geopolitical changes have led to new dynamics in the enlargement process. In contrast to previous waves of countries joining the bloc, it now also has a security dimension, she said.

'The whole world is in motion, the whole Europe is in motion, the whole neighbourhood is moving. And the aspect of security is getting more and more important,' she said.

'We understand enlargement as the political arm of security guarantees,' Kos said. 'European Union membership could really be a very, very strong political arm of these security guarantees.'

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has put security and defence back at the forefront with EU member states ramping up their defence capabilities.

Additionally, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly cast doubt on security guarantees for Europe through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military alliance, prompting European members to start taking matters into their own hands more than before.

Kos said that for the time being it is not possible for Ukraine and Moldova to join NATO but that EU membership would send a strong message.

She called it 'interesting' to see that Balkan countries such as Montenegro, Albania, and North Macedonia have found it 'easier' to become members of NATO than of the EU - a situation that, according to her, could be the opposite for Moldova and Ukraine.

The content of this article is based on reporting by AFP, ANSA, APA, ATA, EFE, Europa Press, FENA, HINA, Lusa, MIA, Ritzau, STA, TASR, Tanjug, UKRINFORM, as part of the European Newsroom (enr) project. AGERPRES (editing by: Mariana Ionescu)