As Ukraine pushes for EU candidate status, enlargement hopes fade in the Western Balkans

On 23 June, representatives from the Western Balkans will meet EU leaders in Brussels ahead of a European Council summit. The meeting is viewed as an opportunity to revive the EU enlargement process in the region at a time when membership applications from Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia are also being considered. Margit Wunsch Gaarmann argues that in light of the EU’s lack of political will for enlargement, the six Western Balkan states are right to consider their own model of regional cooperation.