Macron quashes Ukraine’s hopes of joining the European Union in the near future.

President Emmanuel Macron used a much-anticipated address to the European Parliament to sketch out his vision for the future of the European Union, calling for a “stronger and more sovereign” Europe, even as he dashed Ukraine’s hopes of joining the 27-nation E.U. bloc any time soon.

Mr. Macron reinforced his position on the European stage late last month after winning a second term as president of France. He framed his triumph over his far-right challenger Marine Le Pen, a longtime sympathizer with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, as a vote for a stronger Europe.

But in Mr. Macron’s first major address since he was re-elected to the French presidency, he ruled out that Ukraine could join the E.U. in the near future, saying that the membership process would likely take “decades.” Expressing Europe’s commitment to Ukraine, he said Europe would keep sending military and humanitarian aid to the country. Read more

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